Enrollment
413
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelby, NC
Union Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370090002289
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 12
- schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Elementary has class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary ranks #4 of 12 schools in Shelby, NC.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090002289 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Elementary
Union Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelby, North Carolina, enrolling 413 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 413 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 220 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 413 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Shelby's public schools, it stands alongside Pinnacle Classical Academy (1,178 students): Union Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 31:1).
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside Union 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 Union Elementary compares
Union 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 17% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,957
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 413 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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 60.0%
African American 23.0%
Two or More 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.3, Union Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cleveland County Schools, which includes Union Elementary.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 Union Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Shelby
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pinnacle Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,178 students 31:1 students per teacher
Elizabeth Elementary
Standard public school
649 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Springmore Elementary
Standard public school
618 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Boiling Springs Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Township Three Elementary
Standard public school
540 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
439 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Union Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland County 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 Union Elementary
How many students attend Union Elementary?
Union Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelby, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Elementary?
77.5% of students at Union Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Union Elementary is White at 60.0% of enrollment, in Shelby, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary?
Union Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Union Elementary rank among schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary ranks #4 of 12 schools in Shelby, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shelby on the city page.
Is Union Elementary a good school?
Union Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides Union Elementary, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland County 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.