Total enrollment
14,504
+760 (+6%) vs SY 2020-21
28 schools in Cleveland County Schools
North Carolina · 14,504 students · 6 cities
In North Carolina's Cleveland County Schools, public K-12 schools total 28 and serve approximately 14,504 students (an average of 518 per school).
4-year change in Cleveland County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
28
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Cleveland County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 54.5% | #37 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 14,504 | #25 of 116 | #583 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 28 | #24 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.6:1 | #51 of 116 | #6,047 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 98.7% | #41 of 114 | #358 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 60.7% | #60 of 111 | #1,558 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Cleveland County Schools
State test results across the district's 25 scored schools run from Cleveland ECHS at 84.0% proficient to Shelby High at 29.7%, a gap of 54.3 points. That is the 29th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 27 district schools that reported both years went from 14,398 to 14,317 students (down 1%) and from 982 to 917 full-time teachers (down 7%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
About Cleveland County Schools
Cleveland County Schools maintains 28 public schools across North Carolina, collectively serveing roughly 14,504 students.
On the school-mix side, Cleveland County Schools spans 15 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high schools, and 2 combined or other.
Looking at the last 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 14,504 students, climbed 6% from the 13,744 reported in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Cleveland County Schools discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.