Enrollment
212
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370297001893
University Park Creative Arts — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for University Park Creative Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 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)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How University Park Creative Arts 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 Park Creative Arts reports 212 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 49% above the North Carolina average and 90% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 212 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 61.3% 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 43/100 (D), 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 Park Creative Arts 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 15% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.5% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 212 | top 13% | — | — |
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
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 49% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
— 15% below state mean
Top 32% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
61.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 212 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 212 Top 13% in North Carolina — larger than 87% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 13.9:1 -15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.5% +49% vs state
NCES ID 370297001893
Student demographics
African American 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
White 4.7%
Two or More 1.9%
Largest group: African American at 67.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 212:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 61.3%
In-school suspensions 15
Out-of-school suspensions 34
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes University Park Creative Arts.
$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 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 University Park Creative Arts
How many students attend University Park Creative Arts?
University Park Creative Arts has 212 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Park Creative Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at University Park Creative Arts is 13.9:1, which is 15% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at University Park Creative Arts?
98.5% of students at University Park Creative Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Park Creative Arts?
The largest demographic group at University Park Creative Arts is African American at 67.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for University Park Creative Arts?
University Park Creative Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) 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.