Enrollment
940
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charlotte, NC
Palisades Park Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Palisades Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370297003310
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palisades Park Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools.
- #46 of 59
- elementary schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 29.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Palisades Park Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palisades Park Elementary ranks #46 of 59 elementary schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297003310 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palisades Park Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palisades Park Elementary
Palisades Park Elementary is a large elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 940 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.4% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 940 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.
Among 278 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #202, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (41%) and White (27%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 470 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
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 Charlotte's elementary schools, it stands alongside South Academy of International Languages (1,259 students): Palisades Park Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.8:1 vs 16.4:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Palisades Park 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 Palisades Park Elementary compares
Palisades Park 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 19% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.4% | ▼ 55% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 940 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
940
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 85% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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 470 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 41.4%
White 26.8%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 41.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.4, Palisades Park 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 Palisades Park 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 Palisades Park Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palisades Park 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 Charlotte
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
South Academy of International Languages
Standard public school
1,259 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Rea Farms Steam Academy
Standard public school
1,098 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Mallard Creek Stem Academy
Standard public school
961 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Unity Classical Charter School
Standard public school
928 students 40.3:1 students per teacher
Collinswood Language Academy
Standard public school
893 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy
Standard public school
884 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~940 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palisades Park Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Palisades Park 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 Palisades Park Elementary
How many students attend Palisades Park Elementary?
Palisades Park Elementary has 940 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palisades Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Palisades Park Elementary is 18.8:1, which is 19% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palisades Park Elementary?
29.4% of students at Palisades Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palisades Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Palisades Park Elementary is African American at 41.4% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palisades Park Elementary?
Palisades Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Palisades Park Elementary rank among elementary schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Palisades Park Elementary ranks #46 of 59 elementary 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 elementary schools in Charlotte on the city page.
Is Palisades Park Elementary a good school?
Palisades Park Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Palisades Park 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.