Enrollment
335
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charlotte, NC
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Steele Creek Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370045403501Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools.
- #37 of 59
- elementary schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy has class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy ranks #37 of 59 elementary schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Steele Creek Preparatory Academy · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045403501 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Steele Creek Preparatory Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 335 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 92% of North Carolina schools and 32% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 54.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 335 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 322 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #196.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Steele Creek Preparatory Academy spends $7,926 per pupil, 34% below the North Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Charlotte's elementary schools, it stands alongside South Academy of International Languages (1,259 students): Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 16.4:1).
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, so Steele Creek Preparatory 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 Steele Creek Preparatory Academy compares
Steele Creek Preparatory 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 | 20.9:1 | ▲ 32% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▼ 18% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
335
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 92% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
5.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$7,926
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 65.7%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 2.4%
White 1.8%
Largest group: African American at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Steele Creek Preparatory Academy, which includes Steele Creek Preparatory Academy.
$7,926
Per student
-34%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 10.9%
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 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 (~335 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Steele Creek Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Steele Creek Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Steele Creek Preparatory 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 Steele Creek Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy has 335 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is 20.9:1, which is 32% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
54.0% of students at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is African American at 65.7% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Steele Creek Preparatory Academy rank among elementary schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy ranks #37 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 Steele Creek Preparatory Academy a good school?
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Steele Creek Preparatory Academy?
None; Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, and Steele Creek Preparatory Academy is its only campus.
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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.