Enrollment
634
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charlotte, NC
Polo Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Polo Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370297003032
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polo Ridge Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- #8 of 59
- elementary schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Polo Ridge Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polo Ridge Elementary ranks #8 of 59 elementary schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297003032 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polo Ridge Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polo Ridge Elementary
Polo Ridge Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 634 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 634 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Asian (28%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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): Polo Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 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 Polo Ridge 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 Polo Ridge Elementary compares
Polo Ridge 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 | 17.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 83% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.3%
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
$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 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 49.1%
Asian 27.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
African American 6.8%
Two or More 6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, Polo Ridge 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 Polo Ridge 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 Polo Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 Polo Ridge 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
Palisades Park Elementary
Standard public school
940 students 18.8:1 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
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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polo Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Polo Ridge 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 Polo Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Polo Ridge Elementary?
Polo Ridge Elementary has 634 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polo Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Polo Ridge Elementary is 17.1:1, which is 8% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Polo Ridge Elementary?
11.5% of students at Polo Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polo Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Polo Ridge Elementary is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polo Ridge Elementary?
Polo Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Polo Ridge Elementary rank among elementary schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Polo Ridge Elementary ranks #8 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 Polo Ridge Elementary a good school?
Polo Ridge Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Polo Ridge 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.