Enrollment
555
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370297003128
River Oaks Academy — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for River Oaks Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 20
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Oaks Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
River Oaks Academy reports 555 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 28.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 33% above the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 37% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 10% below the North Carolina average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 278 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spends $15,997 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.2% from local sources (property taxes), 52.1% from the state, and 15.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How River Oaks Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.8:1 | ▲ 33% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.1% | ▼ 10% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 59% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 10% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.8:1
students per teacher
— 33% above state mean
Top 94% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,997
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 278 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 555 Top 59% in North Carolina — larger than 41% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 21.8:1 +33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.1% -10% vs state
NCES ID 370297003128
Student demographics
African American 60.0%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
White 8.5%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 60.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 278:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.9%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 17
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes River Oaks Academy.
$15,997
Per student
+23%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
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 14.1:1 students per teacher
Corvian Community School
Standard public school
1,376 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Northwest School of the Arts
Standard public school
993 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Jackson Day School
Standard public school
882 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Cochrane Collegiate Academy
Standard public school
854 students 20:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about River Oaks Academy
How many students attend River Oaks Academy?
River Oaks Academy has 555 students enrolled. It is a other school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Oaks Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at River Oaks Academy is 21.8:1, which is 33% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Oaks Academy?
59.1% of students at River Oaks Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Oaks Academy?
The largest demographic group at River Oaks Academy is African American at 60.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Oaks Academy?
River Oaks Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.