Enrollment
535
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Charlotte, NC
Mcalpine Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mcalpine Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370297002166
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcalpine Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of North Carolina schools.
- #8 of 70
- schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 23.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcalpine Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalpine Elementary ranks #8 of 70 schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297002166 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcalpine Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcalpine Elementary
Mcalpine Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 535 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.8% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the North Carolina average.
With 535 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% 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 Charlotte's public schools, it stands alongside Sugar Creek Charter (1,591 students): Mcalpine Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 30:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Mcalpine 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 Mcalpine Elementary compares
Mcalpine 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.8% | ▼ 64% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 70% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 55.0%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
African American 13.6%
Asian 4.9%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 55.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, Mcalpine Elementary is more mixed than 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 Mcalpine 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 Mcalpine 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 | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcalpine 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 (~535 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcalpine Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mcalpine 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 Mcalpine Elementary
How many students attend Mcalpine Elementary?
Mcalpine Elementary has 535 students enrolled. It is a public school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcalpine Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcalpine Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 6% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcalpine Elementary?
23.8% of students at Mcalpine Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcalpine Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mcalpine Elementary is White at 55.0% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcalpine Elementary?
Mcalpine Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Mcalpine Elementary rank among schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcalpine Elementary ranks #8 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 Mcalpine Elementary a good school?
Mcalpine Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Mcalpine 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.