Enrollment
726
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Matthews, NC
Matthews Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Matthews Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370297001238
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Matthews Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Matthews · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 26.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Matthews Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Matthews Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Matthews, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297001238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Matthews Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Matthews Elementary
Matthews Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Matthews, North Carolina, enrolling 726 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 26.5% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 726 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 298 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #121.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Matthews's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mint Hill Elementary School (864 students): Matthews Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 22.2:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Matthews 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 Matthews Elementary compares
Matthews 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.5% | ▼ 60% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 726 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
726
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 60% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.1%
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 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 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
White 61.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
African American 11.8%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Matthews 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 Matthews 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 Matthews Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Matthews 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 elementary schools in Matthews
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~726 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Matthews Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Matthews 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 Matthews Elementary
How many students attend Matthews Elementary?
Matthews Elementary has 726 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Matthews, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Matthews Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Matthews Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 0% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Matthews Elementary?
26.5% of students at Matthews Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Matthews Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Matthews Elementary is White at 61.3% of enrollment, in Matthews, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Matthews Elementary?
Matthews Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Matthews Elementary rank among elementary schools in Matthews?
By Resource Investment Index, Matthews Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Matthews, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Matthews on the city page.
Is Matthews Elementary a good school?
Matthews Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Matthews 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.