First Ward Creative Arts Academy

Public elementary school, kindergarten to grade 5 · Charlotte, North Carolina

First Ward Creative Arts Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina enrolled 421 students in 2024-25 with 28.7 full-time teachers, 14.7 students per teacher against the North Carolina elementary-school median of 14.7. It ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22; it takes part in the National School Lunch Program (2024-25). On the state tests, 52-56% of its students tested were proficient in math in 2021-22 (North Carolina: 50%).

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 · Title I status CCD 2021-22 · method

Enrollment fell 15% from 2022-23 to 2024-25; full-time teachers fell 19%

495 students in 2022-23, 447 students in 2023-24, 421 students in 2024-25. Full-time teachers went from 35.6 to 28.7.

Students enrolled at First Ward Creative Arts Academy by school year2022-23: 495, 2023-24: 447, 2024-25: 42102004006002022-234952023-244472024-25421
Students enrolled at First Ward Creative Arts Academy by school year2022-23: 495, 2023-24: 447, 2024-25: 42102004006002022-234952023-244472024-25421
Students enrolled at First Ward Creative Arts Academy by school year2022-23: 495, 2023-24: 447, 2024-25: 42102004006002022-234952023-244472024-25421
Students enrolled at First Ward Creative Arts Academy by school year2022-23: 495, 2023-24: 447, 2024-25: 42102004006002022-234952023-244472024-25421
The numbers as a table
School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2349535.613.9
2023-2444735.212.7
2024-2542128.714.7

14.7 students per teacher, a lower ratio than 51 of every 100 North Carolina elementary schools

Among the 1,442 North Carolina elementary schools that reported teachers for 2024-25 the median is 14.7; the national median for elementary schools is 14.6. A ratio counts every teacher, so it is not the size of a class.

Students per teacher, North Carolina elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.2 to 54.5; This school 14.7; state median 14.7.1 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 14.7state median 14.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, North Carolina elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.2 to 54.5; This school 14.7; state median 14.7.1 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 14.7state median 14.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, North Carolina elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.2 to 54.5; This school 14.7; state median 14.7.1 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 14.7state median 14.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, North Carolina elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.2 to 54.5; This school 14.7; state median 14.7.1 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 14.7state median 14.7U.S. 14.6

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; the comparison counts schools with a 2024-25 teacher count and a ratio from 3 to 99 (lower values are reporting errors).

One counselor per 264 students in 2021-22

In the 2021-22 civil rights collection First Ward Creative Arts Academy enrolled 527 students and had 2.0 counselors (full-time equivalent); it reported 12 out-of-school suspensions that year.

  • Advanced Placement coursesNone
  • Gifted and talented programYes
  • Counselors (FTE)2.0, one per 264 of the 527 students enrolled in 2021-22
  • Out-of-school suspensions12
  • Chronically absent38.0% (2022-23)

Who attends

76.2% of students were Black, 12.8% Hispanic, 6.7% of two or more races in 2024-25.

  1. Black76.2%
  2. Hispanic12.8%
  3. Two or more races6.7%
  4. White2.9%
  5. Asian1.0%
  6. American Indian0.2%
  7. Pacific Islander0.2%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22; chronic absenteeism from EDFacts 2022-23; every count and the counselor ratio are for that school year. Who attends: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, membership by race and ethnicity.

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested at First Ward Creative Arts Academy scored proficient or above: 52-56% in math, against 50% in math across North Carolina. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Carolina, not across states. No whole-school reading result is shown: ED's files give none for this school for 2021-22 or 2022-23. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis schoolIts districtNorth Carolina
Math52‑56%50%50%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (2021-22 through the Data Rescue Project archive): ED shows school and district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Elementary schools in Charlotte

112 public elementary schools in Charlotte report 2024-25 enrollment.

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunch
South Academy of International Languages1,25914.831.9%
Rea Farms STEAM Academy1,09816.312.2%
Mallard Creek STEM Academy96113.497.1%
Palisades Park Elementary94015.837.9%
Unity Classical Charter School92823.9not reported
Collinswood Language Academy89316.238.6%
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy88416.097.9%
Idlewild Elementary85016.999.6%

All public schools in Charlotte →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25.

What to look at next about First Ward Creative Arts Academy

  1. Elizabeth Traditional ElementaryThe nearest public elementary school, 1.0 miles away: 409 students, 14.2 per teacher (2024-25).1.0 mi
  2. Walter G. Byers SchoolThe next nearest public elementary school, 1.2 miles away: 303 students, 12.3 per teacher (2024-25).1.2 mi
  3. Compare First Ward Creative Arts Academy with Elizabeth Traditional ElementaryStudents, teachers, meals, test results and who attends, side by side.
  4. How much Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spends per student$12,198 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (U.S. $16,260), with its revenue sources and teacher pay.$12,198
  5. The largest public schools in North CarolinaFirst Ward Creative Arts Academy is the number 825 by size of 1,451 North Carolina elementary schools open in 2024-25.#825 of 1,451
  6. North Carolina schools by students per teacher14.7 students per teacher here against the North Carolina median of 14.7 for elementary schools.14.7:1
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (locations, enrollment, teachers); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23. Distances are straight lines between the schools' NCES coordinates, not travel routes.

Questions about First Ward Creative Arts Academy

  1. How many students attend First Ward Creative Arts Academy?
    421 in the 2024-25 school year, according to the NCES Common Core of Data; 495 in 2022-23. It is an elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
  2. What is the student-teacher ratio at First Ward Creative Arts Academy?
    14.7 students per full-time teacher (2024-25); the North Carolina median for elementary schools is 14.7. A ratio counts every teacher, so it is not the size of a class.
  3. Is First Ward Creative Arts Academy a Title I school?
    First Ward Creative Arts Academy ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, the last year NCES published school Title I status.
  4. How do students at First Ward Creative Arts Academy do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested at First Ward Creative Arts Academy scored proficient or above: 52-56% in math, against 50% in math across North Carolina. North Carolina's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22; ED publishes school results as ranges to protect small groups.
  5. What district is First Ward Creative Arts Academy in?
    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NCES district ID 3702970. The first seven digits of the school's NCES ID 370297001211 are the district's.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the school, its district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: NCES Common Core of Data Directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Source: Civil Rights Data Collection School-level files (AP, gifted, counselors, discipline) · 2021-22

District spending on the district page is from the NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23.

Compiled from official source data by .