Enrollment
601
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Charlotte, NC
Hornets Nest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hornets Nest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370297002309
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hornets Nest Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools.
- #56 of 70
- schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hornets Nest Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hornets Nest Elementary ranks #56 of 70 schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297002309 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hornets Nest Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hornets Nest Elementary
Hornets Nest Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 601 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.4:1 is larger than about 88% of North Carolina schools and 23% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 601 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 536 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #345.
Its student body is led by African American (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Charlotte's public schools, it stands alongside Sugar Creek Charter (1,591 students): Hornets Nest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 30:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Hornets Nest Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hornets Nest Elementary compares
Hornets Nest Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▲ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 601 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
601
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 88% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 62.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
Asian 5.3%
White 4.2%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 62.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Hornets Nest Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes Hornets Nest Elementary.
$11,853
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Hornets Nest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hornets Nest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Charlotte
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sugar Creek Charter
Standard public school
1,591 students 30:1 students per teacher
Bradford Preparatory School
Standard public school
1,566 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Corvian Community School
Standard public school
1,376 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Northwest School of the Arts
Standard public school
993 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Jackson Day School
Standard public school
882 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Cochrane Collegiate Academy
Standard public school
854 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~601 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hornets Nest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hornets Nest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Hornets Nest Elementary
How many students attend Hornets Nest Elementary?
Hornets Nest Elementary has 601 students enrolled. It is a public school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hornets Nest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hornets Nest Elementary is 19.4:1, which is 23% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hornets Nest Elementary?
99.5% of students at Hornets Nest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hornets Nest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hornets Nest Elementary is African American at 62.4% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hornets Nest Elementary?
Hornets Nest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hornets Nest Elementary rank among schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Hornets Nest Elementary ranks #56 of 70 schools in Charlotte, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Charlotte on the city page.
Is Hornets Nest Elementary a good school?
Hornets Nest Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Besides Hornets Nest Elementary, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students), Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students), and South Mecklenburg High School (2,534 students). See the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.