A.C.E. Academy

A.C.E. Academy, located in Harrisburg, NC, is a single-school district serving 421 students in grades K–8 with a student-teacher ratio of 14.7:1 and a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 97.86%. Although the data labels the school as an elementary school, it actually serves middle-grade students through 8th grade, with test results spanning grades 3–8. This is a very high-need population, which makes comparisons with North Carolina state averages particularly meaningful.

A.C.E. Academy has ranked in the bottom quarter of North Carolina schools for three consecutive years, sitting at the 15th percentile in 2025–2026 with a 1-star rating. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern, affecting 33.6% of students versus 24.2% statewide. Despite the low ranking, the school improved its subject-average proficiency in every subject from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. The most dramatic gain came in science, which jumped from 25.7% to 58.4% proficiency, narrowing the gap with the state from 35.4 points to just 9.8 points.

The school's most distinctive pattern is a V-shaped achievement profile. Lower grades struggle considerably, with 3rd grade reading at only 28.6% proficiency in 2025–2026 and 5th grade math trailing the state by 30.3 points. Upper grades, however, are a genuine bright spot: A.C.E. Academy matched or exceeded state averages in 7th grade math, 8th grade math, 7th grade reading, 8th grade reading, and 8th grade science that same year, including a remarkable 69.8% proficiency rate in 7th grade math, 13.6 points above the state. The A.C.E. Academy district ranks 175th out of 246 districts statewide. While early-elementary performance remains a real challenge, the middle grades show genuine strength, and improving attendance in the early grades could be key to lifting outcomes across the school.