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A.C.E. Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1264^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

A.C.E. Academy is a K-8 charter school in Harrisburg, NC, serving 421 students as its own single-school district. In 2025-2026 the school ranked #1264 out of 1492 North Carolina schools — the 15th percentile statewide and the lowest among all nearby schools. It earned a 1-star rating after four straight years of decline, falling from a 38th percentile in 2021-2022. The student body is nearly all low-income, with a 97.9% free/reduced-price lunch rate.

The poverty rate alone does not predict performance in this part of North Carolina. A.C.E. Academy sits within a few miles of Harrisburg Elementary and Hickory Ridge Elementary, two of the state's top-ranked schools in the Cabarrus County Schools district, where 3rd-grade reading proficiency exceeds 77% — roughly 49 points higher than the school's 28.6%. The school's demographics look much more like high-poverty campuses in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, such as Reedy Creek Elementary and University Meadows Elementary. Yet nearby schools serving similar populations show that better results are achievable: Dorothy J Vaughan Academy at Parkside ranks in the 66th percentile statewide, and United Community School, another local K-8 charter, ranks in the 40th.

Perhaps the most striking finding is the divide between early and upper grades — a pattern worth noting because A.C.E. Academy is a K-8 school while nearly all nearby schools end at 5th grade. Its 7th-grade math proficiency reached 69.8%, more than 13 points above the state average, and its 8th graders matched the state in reading and science. By contrast, 3rd-grade reading proficiency sits 27 points below the state average, and grades 3 through 6 lag far behind in math. Rising chronic absenteeism — 33.6% in 2024-2025, meaning roughly one in three students misses substantial school time — is likely a critical factor and stands out as the school's clearest target for improvement.

421

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7807 Caldwell Road
Harrisburg, NC 28075

(704) 456-7153

District: A.C.E. Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

76.7%

Hispanic:

16.2%

Two or more races:

3.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare A.C.E. Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 38th percentile in 2022 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (49% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

1,264^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 7% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

382^nd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 33 pts since 2017

From bottom 18% (2017) to top 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

175^th of 246A.C.E. Academy among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	1264 of 1492	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	1192 of 1490	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	1156 of 1505	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.7	1060 of 1502	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.5	946 of 1514	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.6	1111 of 1489	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	1315 of 1473	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	1285 of 1434	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	7.0	1363 of 1429	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	9.7	1331 of 1425	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.3	1230 of 1440	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.4	569 of 903	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.0	487 of 918	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	484 of 924	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.0	330 of 933	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.0	177 of 927	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	52.3	322 of 896	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.0	620 of 949	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	632 of 927	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	1302 of 1447	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	1232 of 1451	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	1166 of 1455	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	998 of 1459	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.6	837 of 1458	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.9	966 of 1440	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	15.0	1299 of 1424	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	1268 of 1405	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	1202 of 1434	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	1144 of 1437	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.7	1024 of 1450	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.5	993 of 1437	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	684 of 1366	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.5	841 of 1329	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.2	1180 of 1361	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	1111 of 1332	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.4	1135 of 1451	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.2	1077 of 1450	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.8	1065 of 1464	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.6	1054 of 1461	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.7	1006 of 1464	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.2	1196 of 1444	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.1	1262 of 1430	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1296 of 1413	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.7	382 of 778	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.0	520 of 773	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	503 of 793	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	493 of 784	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	522 of 786	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.3	526 of 741	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	555 of 737	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.2	590 of 691	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.8	567 of 694	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.3	123 of 553	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	56.2	195 of 546	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.0	131 of 560	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	56.0	181 of 559	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	192 of 550	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.1	203 of 533	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.4	202 of 519	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.4	317 of 494	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	435 of 731	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.3	548 of 733	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.6	527 of 738	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.3	432 of 731	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.5	450 of 733	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.2	530 of 706	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.9	513 of 684	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	531 of 656	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	197 of 566	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.6	442 of 564	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	205 of 725	71.7%	★★★★☆
2025	37.4	465 of 729	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.8	341 of 743	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.8	323 of 735	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	377 of 689	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.9	257 of 633	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.2	427 of 639	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.7	498 of 604	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	303 of 736	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.6	462 of 733	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	426 of 751	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.3	524 of 747	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.5	551 of 748	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.3	497 of 711	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.8	543 of 697	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	617 of 665	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2026)37th percentile+22 vs school

Male (2026)22nd percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile~ school

Female (2026)10th percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

African American (2026)78th percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)40th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science58%-10 vs state

Mathematics48%-12 vs state

Reading48%-8 vs state

2.6

5 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★1

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, June 6, 2020

Ace Academy
Is a family orientated school. They have a good support system. Teachers take out of their personal time,for tutoring. Your child will learn in a small environment, and received one on one learning. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 23, 2019

This is not a good school some teachers lack , I personally witness teachers yelling at kids. Staff not to friendly resources for school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, August 28, 2018

This school is a joke. Its run by people who aren't qualified to hold the positions. There is poor management of funds, a teacher's lounge came before a play area for older students. Teachers lie and are rude to parents and students. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, October 20, 2016

Terrible school starting with the principal and trickling down to faculty. Very poor communcation, unprofessional attitude and no accountability before even mentioning the lack lustre academic program. This school and the principal are a disservice to all students. Close Quote

Schools Near A.C.E. Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
A.C.E. Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7807 Caldwell Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	A.C.E. Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 456-7153	421	28	14.7	97.9%	9 (2.1%)	323 (76.7%)	68 (16.2%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	21	1264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.3%		24.7	1192^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	20.0%	72	40.8	55.8	32.6	34.7	69.8	55.6	28.6	42.3	47.8	51.0	58.1	60.0	47.8	68.9
Harrisburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 Stallings Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6190	850	53	16.0	21.1%	364 (42.8%)	145 (17.1%)	63 (7.4%)	228 (26.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.5%)	93	70^th of 1492 public elementary schools	95.3%		93.5	65^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.6%	5	87.3	85.2	86.3				77.6	81.2	82.6				87.6		$8,156	$486	$7,670
University Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Pavilion Blvd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-3685	737	38	19.1	99.6%	46 (6.2%)	418 (56.7%)	212 (28.8%)	32 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.7%)	34.7	1012^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.2%		21.3	1255^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.8%	243	59.6	42.9	54.3				49.0	45.6	38.3				73.4		$10,305	$1,460	$8,845
Pitts School Road Elementary	Public	K-5	720 Pitts School Road SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6250	885	61	14.5	51.0%	331 (37.4%)	273 (30.8%)	129 (14.6%)	84 (9.5%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (7.1%)	69.5	427^th of 1492 public elementary schools	71.4%		75.8	308^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.3%	119	69.7	69.1	72.9				56.4	64.8	61.9				81.3		$8,735	$586	$8,149
Hickory Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	9464 Hickory Ridge Rd	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-5950	927	65	14.3	15.0%	288 (31.1%)	149 (16.1%)	64 (6.9%)	360 (38.8%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (6.6%)	94.5	51^st of 1492 public elementary schools	96.6%		94	61^st of 1490 public elementary schools	95.9%	10	83.9	94.9	87.6				77.4	87.6	83.6				92.1
United Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	1406 Suther Road	Charlotte	28213	Mecklenburg County	United Community School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 819-0555	250	19	13.0		16 (6.4%)	135 (54.0%)	69 (27.6%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.4%)	40.3	900^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.7%		33.5	1028^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.0%	128	70.8	41.7	50.0	52.6	26.3	14.3	66.7	62.5	33.3	47.4	31.6	42.9	33.3	35.7
Reedy Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10801 Plaza Rd Ext	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6480	850	55	15.3	99.6%	59 (6.9%)	408 (48.0%)	269 (31.6%)	56 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (6.7%)	45.5	816^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.3%		41.9	882^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	40.8%	66	62.9	62.9	56.1				53.0	50.0	51.3				64.3		$9,604	$751	$8,853
Dorothy J Vaughan Academy at Parkside	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2945 Johnston Oehler Rd.	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-0030	309	20	15.2	99.0%	18 (5.8%)	195 (63.1%)	76 (24.6%)	10 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	64.3	514^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.5%		72.6	352^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	76.4%	162	70.8	70.5	63.6				72.9	69.6	53.6				61.8		$9,792	$720	$9,072
Joseph W Grier Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	8330 Grier Rd	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5671	529	33	16.2	99.4%	30 (5.7%)	239 (45.2%)	223 (42.2%)	25 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.3%)	23.2	1224^th of 1492 public elementary schools	18.0%		19.1	1294^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.2%	70	52.7	46.3	42.5				44.0	54.9	35.6				47.7		$10,343	$1,072	$9,271
Stoney Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	14015 Mallard Roost Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 344-1030	850	45	18.8	99.6%	42 (4.9%)	545 (64.1%)	197 (23.2%)	26 (3.1%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	31 (3.6%)	32.9	1044^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.0%		14.7	1351^st of 1490 public elementary schools	9.3%	307	57.8	38.9	58.6				46.1	40.3	48.7				68.4		$9,805	$923	$8,882

Frequently Asked Questions about A.C.E. Academy

How many students attend A.C.E. Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 421 students attended A.C.E. Academy.

Is A.C.E. Academy a good school?

A.C.E. Academy ranks in the bottom 15.3% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of A.C.E. Academy?

Students at A.C.E. Academy are 77% African American, 16% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Asian.

What district is A.C.E. Academy in?

A.C.E. Academy

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.