Shady Brook Elementary

Shady Brook Elementary, a modestly sized elementary campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, one of the schools within Kannapolis City Schools, hosts 322 students, covering grades K through 5. By comparison, North Carolina's public schools average about 467 students each, so Shady Brook Elementary sits 31% leaner than that benchmark.

Across the 9 schools in Kannapolis City Schools (5,377 students total), Shady Brook Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Shady Brook Elementary reports that 36% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest comes out to 29% Black, 24% White, 11% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 13% Hispanic, putting the school's mix considerably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.0:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.9:1, putting Shady Brook Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Cabarrus County (around 56%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Shady Brook Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.6%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Cabarrus County indicate median household earnings sit near $89,005, roughly 38% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Cabarrus County runs 56 public schools (combined enrollment of about 43,278 students), of which Shady Brook Elementary is one.

Kannapolis Middle School 6 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Shady Brook Elementary at 6th of 9; the average score across the group is 46.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 11%: 360 students in 2018 compared to 322 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 35% to 24% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 17.0:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Shady Brook Elementary typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.