Enrollment
1,178
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelby, NC
Pinnacle Classical Academy
Federal NCES profile for Pinnacle Classical Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370035303291Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pinnacle Classical Academy earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools.
- #12 of 12
- schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 31:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 1,178
- students enrolled
Pinnacle Classical Academy has class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pinnacle Classical Academy ranks #12 of 12 schools in Shelby, NC.
School address
District: Pinnacle Classical Academy · North Carolina
NCES ID 370035303291 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
31:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pinnacle Classical Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pinnacle Classical Academy
Pinnacle Classical Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Shelby, North Carolina, enrolling 1,178 students.
Class loads run heavy: 31:1 is larger than about 98% of North Carolina schools and 96% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,178 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 589 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Pinnacle Classical Academy spends $7,366 per pupil, 39% below the North Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Shelby's public schools, it stands alongside Elizabeth Elementary (649 students): Pinnacle Classical Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (31:1 vs 14.8:1).
Pinnacle Classical Academy is a single-school charter district, so Pinnacle Classical Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Pinnacle Classical Academy compares
Pinnacle Classical Academy 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 | 31:1 | ▲ 96% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,178 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
31:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,178
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
31:1
students per teacher
- 96% above state mean
Top 98% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$7,366
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 589 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
44
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 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 72.0%
African American 10.4%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Asian 2.3%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.8, Pinnacle Classical Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pinnacle Classical Academy, which includes Pinnacle Classical Academy.
$7,366
Per student
-39%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-56%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.5%
State 75.1%
Federal 6.4%
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 other schools in Shelby
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Elementary
Standard public school
649 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Springmore Elementary
Standard public school
618 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Boiling Springs Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Township Three Elementary
Standard public school
540 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
439 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Union Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 13.3:1 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 (~1,178 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~31:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pinnacle Classical Academy's federal record.
- Compare Pinnacle Classical Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Pinnacle Classical Academy'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 Pinnacle Classical Academy
How many students attend Pinnacle Classical Academy?
Pinnacle Classical Academy has 1,178 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelby, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pinnacle Classical Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Pinnacle Classical Academy is 31:1, which is 96% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 97% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pinnacle Classical Academy?
The largest demographic group at Pinnacle Classical Academy is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in Shelby, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pinnacle Classical Academy?
Pinnacle Classical Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pinnacle Classical Academy rank among schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Pinnacle Classical Academy ranks #12 of 12 schools in Shelby, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shelby on the city page.
Is Pinnacle Classical Academy a good school?
Pinnacle Classical Academy earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Pinnacle Classical Academy?
None; Pinnacle Classical Academy is a single-school charter district, and Pinnacle Classical Academy is its only campus.
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.