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What's the most underrated thing about Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
884
Elementary
STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SOUTHWEST CHARLOTTE STEM ACADEMY·NCES 370044603504
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy
5203 Shopton Rd, Charlotte, NC 28278 · (980) 505-8344 · Mecklenburg County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL884 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
16.0:1
55 FTE teachers
STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
98%
865 students
STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 86 | 10% |
| Grade 1 | 101 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 100 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 94 | 11% |
| Grade 4 | 91 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 95 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 120 | 14% |
| Grade 7 | 110 | 12% |
| Grade 8 | 87 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (86) is about the same size as its 8th grade class (87).
Student demographics
56%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy this school | 884 | 97.9% | N/A |
| Stoney Creek Elementary Charlotte | 850 | 99.6% | 36.8% |
| Mountain Island Lake Academy Charlotte | 766 | 99.6% | 40.6% |
| Renaissance West STEAM Academy Charlotte | 737 | 99.6% | 49.4% |
| Blythe Elementary Huntersville | 902 | 99.7% | 58.5% |
| Gate City Charter Greensboro | 715 | 97.9% | N/A |
Matched among North Carolina elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Mecklenburg County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 884 | #37 of 1,485 | #9 of 136 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.0:1 | #1,026 of 1,377 | #70 of 133 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 55.8% | #842 of 1,379 | #75 of 133 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 97.9% | #926 of 1,414 | #78 of 130 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
884
+231 (+35%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
16.0:1
was 18.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 884 | 55.2 | 16.0:1 | 98% (865) |
| 2023-24 | 836 | 49.3 | 16.9:1 | 99% (825) |
| 2022-23 | 817 | 45.5 | 18.0:1 | 48% (389) |
| 2020-21 | 653 | 35 | 18.7:1 | 28% (180) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy.
About Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy is a large elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, (ZIP code 28278). It enrolled 884 students in kindergarten through 8 for the 2024-25 school year. Statewide, elementary schools in North Carolina average about 467 students each.
The school serves as its own district in federal records.
A majority of students at Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy, 63%, are Black. Beyond that, enrollment is 20% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 6% White, and 4% Asian. The Black share of the county population is lower, at 30%. By the diversity index, Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy comes in at 56%.
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy counts 55.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 16.0 students for each one. Among elementary schools in North Carolina, the typical ratio is 14.9:1. About 98% of enrolled students meet the income rules for free or reduced-price lunch. Compared with the 71% average for public schools in Mecklenburg County, the school's rate is higher.
In Mecklenburg County (population about 1,154,681), median household income is about $87,005, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 49% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 7%. Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy is one of 226 public schools in Mecklenburg County, which together enroll about 170,407 students.
The nearest public school is Berewick Elementary, at about 0.7 miles. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
On the NCES locale scale, the school is Suburb: Large. NCES lists Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy as a charter school.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy went from 653 students to 884. The ratio of students to teachers went from 18.7:1 to 16.0:1 over the same years.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Mecklenburg County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,154,681
Census ACS
Median income
$87,005
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
49%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
226
170,407 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Charlotte
- Myers Park High SchoolHigh · 3,225 students
- Ardrey Kell High SchoolHigh · 3,036 students
- South Mecklenburg High SchoolHigh · 2,534 students
- East Mecklenburg High SchoolHigh · 2,422 students
- Palisades High SchoolHigh · 2,332 students
- Julius L. Chambers High SchoolHigh · 2,225 students
Nearby schools
- Berewick Elementary0.7 mi · 717
- Steele Creek Elementary1.2 mi · 525
- Olympic High School1.2 mi · 1,483
- Kennedy Middle1.4 mi · 990
- Steele Creek Preparatory Academy2.3 mi · 335
- South Pine Academy2.7 mi · 765
Frequently asked questions
About Southwest Charlotte STEM AcademyHow many students attend Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy?
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy enrolls approximately 884 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy serve?
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many teachers does Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy have?
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy employs 55 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.0:1.
How diverse is Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy?
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy reports a student body of 6% White, 20% Hispanic, 63% Black, 4% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Is Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy public or private?
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.