Enrollment
737
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370297000652
University Meadows Elementary — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for University Meadows Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
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)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How University Meadows Elementary 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
University Meadows Elementary reports 737 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 42.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 10% 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 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% above the North Carolina average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 369 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 43.1% 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 31/100 (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 University Meadows Elementary 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 10% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 737 | top 78% | — | — |
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
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% 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
18:1
students per teacher
— 10% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.1%
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 369 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 737 Top 78% in North Carolina — larger than 22% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 42.0
Students per teacher 18:1 +10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.6% +51% vs state
NCES ID 370297000652
Student demographics
African American 56.7%
Hispanic or Latino 28.8%
White 6.2%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 56.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 369:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 43.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes University Meadows Elementary.
$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 University Meadows Elementary
How many students attend University Meadows Elementary?
University Meadows Elementary has 737 students enrolled. It is a other school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Meadows Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at University Meadows Elementary is 18:1, which is 10% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at University Meadows Elementary?
99.6% of students at University Meadows Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Meadows Elementary?
The largest demographic group at University Meadows Elementary is African American at 56.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for University Meadows Elementary?
University Meadows Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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.