Enrollment
2,186
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370011202551 Charter school
Union Academy — Monroe, NC
Federal NCES profile for Union Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 28
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: Union Academy Charter School · 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)
124.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union 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
Union Academy reports 2,186 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 124.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% 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 8% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 437 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Union Academy Charter School spends $8,907 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.5% from local sources (property taxes), 63.3% from the state, and 4.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Union 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 2,186 | top 99% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.6%
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
$8,907
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 437 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
95
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 2,186 Top 99% in North Carolina — larger than 1% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 124.0
Students per teacher 17.2:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 370011202551
Student demographics
White 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
African American 11.3%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 15
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 437:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.6%
In-school suspensions 95
Out-of-school suspensions 39
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Academy Charter School, which includes Union Academy.
$8,907
Per student
-32%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-54%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.5%
State 63.3%
Federal 4.2%
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 Monroe
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wesley Chapel Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Unionville Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Shiloh Valley Primary School
Standard public school
563 students 14:1 students per teacher
Rocky River Elementary
Standard public school
536 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Sardis Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Benton Heights Elementary
Standard public school
451 students 10.9:1 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 Union Academy
How many students attend Union Academy?
Union Academy has 2,186 students enrolled. It is a other school in Monroe, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Academy is 17.2:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Academy?
The largest demographic group at Union Academy is White at 67.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Monroe, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Academy?
Union Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.