Enrollment
884
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370044603504 Charter school
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 41
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: Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy · 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)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Charlotte Stem 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
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy reports 884 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 45.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% 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 14% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 43.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% below the North Carolina average and 15% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 442 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy spends $10,025 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.5% from local sources (property taxes), 58.4% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Southwest Charlotte Stem 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 11% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 34% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 884 | top 87% | — | — |
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
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher
— 11% above state mean
Top 84% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$10,025
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 442 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 884 Top 87% in North Carolina — larger than 13% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 45.0
Students per teacher 18.2:1 +11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 43.8% -34% vs state
NCES ID 370044603504
Student demographics
African American 62.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 6.6%
White 5.8%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 62.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 442:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.6%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy, which includes Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy.
$10,025
Per student
-23%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.5%
State 58.4%
Federal 14.1%
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 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 15.9:1 students per teacher
Rea Farms Steam Academy
Standard public school
1,098 students 17.1:1 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 18:1 students per teacher
Unity Classical Charter School
Standard public school
928 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Collinswood Language Academy
Standard public school
893 students 14.8:1 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 Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy
How many students attend Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy?
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy has 884 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy is 18.2:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy?
43.8% of students at Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy is African American at 62.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy?
Southwest Charlotte Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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.