Socrates Academy

Socrates Academy is a K-12 independent charter school in Matthews, NC, serving about 1,039 students, that consistently ranks among the strongest academic performers in the Charlotte-area cluster of charter academies. Its latest graduation rate is 94.1%, comfortably above the North Carolina state average of 88.8%. On 2025–26 End-of-Grade tests, the school's average proficiency across grades 3–8 was roughly 87.8% in math and 83.1% in reading, compared with state averages near 60% and 56%. In 8th grade math, about 94% of students were proficient — a roughly 40-point advantage over the statewide figure. Science results were also strong, with 8th grade science at 95.8% proficiency versus 68.6% statewide, and End-of-Course scores in Biology, English II, Math I, and Math III all finished well above state averages.

The most meaningful comparisons are to nearby charter academies, not traditional district schools. Telra Institute, located about 1.5 miles away, posts even higher test scores in some grades and has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate. But Telra is a K–10 school, while Socrates Academy is a full K-12 school that combines strong End-of-Grade performance with a 94.1% graduation rate and solid End-of-Course results. Against its closest neighbor, Union Day School, Socrates Academy leads by a wide margin — including 93.6% versus 34.4% proficient in 8th grade math — while also having lower chronic absenteeism.

The two concerns worth watching are operational trends, not academics. Chronic absenteeism has risen from 6.5% in 2018–19 to 15.4% in 2024–25 — still well below the state's 24.2%, but higher than nearby Telra Institute (5.8%) and Queen's Grant Community School (9.7%). The student-teacher ratio has also increased from 15.2 to 19.6 over two years, which is higher than many peer academies. So far, test scores remain excellent, but families should keep an eye on whether these trends continue.