Enrollment
961
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370041003390 Charter school
Mallard Creek Stem Academy — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for Mallard Creek Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 28/100.
👥 Class size 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 43
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Mallard Creek Stem Academy · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mallard Creek Stem Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mallard Creek Stem Academy reports 961 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 61.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 48.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 26% below the North Carolina average and 6% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 481 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Mallard Creek Stem Academy spends $11,139 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.6% from local sources (property taxes), 58.6% from the state, and 12.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mallard Creek Stem Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.7% | ▼ 26% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 961 | top 89% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
48.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 26% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
— 4% below state mean
Top 61% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,139
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 481 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 961 Top 89% in North Carolina — larger than 11% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 61.0
Students per teacher 15.8:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 48.7% -26% vs state
NCES ID 370041003390
Student demographics
African American 76.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 7.4%
Asian 2.4%
White 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 76.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 481:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mallard Creek Stem Academy, which includes Mallard Creek Stem Academy.
$11,139
Per student
-15%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.6%
State 58.6%
Federal 12.8%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Charlotte
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
South Academy of International Languages
Standard public school
1,259 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Rea Farms Steam Academy
Standard public school
1,098 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Palisades Park Elementary
Standard public school
940 students 18:1 students per teacher
Unity Classical Charter School
Standard public school
928 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Collinswood Language Academy
Standard public school
893 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy
Standard public school
884 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mallard Creek Stem Academy
How many students attend Mallard Creek Stem Academy?
Mallard Creek Stem Academy has 961 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mallard Creek Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mallard Creek Stem Academy is 15.8:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mallard Creek Stem Academy?
48.7% of students at Mallard Creek Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mallard Creek Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mallard Creek Stem Academy is African American at 76.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mallard Creek Stem Academy?
Mallard Creek Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.