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Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy

Q: Is Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy a good school?

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy ranks 789 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

789^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy (SCSA) is a K-8 school in Charlotte, NC, serving 884 students. It operates as its own district, the Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy district, rather than belonging to the larger Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district. Serving a community where roughly 97.9% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, SCSA has historically performed well. However, its latest state ranking slipped to the 47th percentile (789 out of 1,492 schools), a noticeable drop from its peak of the 68th percentile in 2023-24. In district-level rankings, Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy sits in the 63rd percentile, slightly above CMS.

SCSA's strengths lie in attendance and middle-school academics. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 15.0%, versus the state average of 24.2%, and far lower than high-poverty peers like Reid Park Academy (39.6%), Renaissance West STEAM Academy (35.2%), and Steele Creek Preparatory Academy (29.3%). SCSA outperforms 8 of 10 nearby schools. While affluent Winget Park Elementary (85th percentile) and Lake Wylie Elementary (54th percentile) rank higher, SCSA outranks Steele Creek Elementary and Nations Ford Elementary. Subgroup performance is a genuine strength, with African American and Hispanic students scoring in the 70th and 64th percentiles statewide. Middle-grade reading is a standout, with 6th and 7th grade proficiency (68.9% and 67.9%) far exceeding state averages.

Parents should also weigh some challenges. Early elementary reading trails the state, especially in 3rd grade, and 5th-grade science proficiency (51.6%) lags behind the state average (67.7%). The overall ranking has declined for two years, a trend worth monitoring. The school's poverty rate jumped sharply from 47.6% to 98.7% in 2023-24, likely due to changing federal meal reporting rules rather than a sudden demographic shift. Overall, SCSA proves that a high-poverty school can foster excellent attendance and strong middle-school achievement. If it can translate that success into its lower elementary grades, it has the potential to return to the upper tier of North Carolina schools.

884

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5203 Shopton Rd
Charlotte, NC 28278

(980) 505-8344

District: Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.7%

Hispanic:

20.0%

Two or more races:

6.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 37th percentile in 2021 → 47th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

!Science scores 13 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

789^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 10 pts since 2021

From bottom 37% (2021) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

285^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 7 pts since 2021

From top 44% (2021) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

90^th of 246Southwest Charlotte STEM 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	46.7	789 of 1492	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.3	526 of 1490	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.2	485 of 1505	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.1	731 of 1502	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.9	1009 of 1514	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.9	941 of 1489	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	268 of 903	70.3%	★★★★☆
2025	79.8	110 of 918	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	150 of 924	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	176 of 933	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	50.0	406 of 927	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.3	336 of 896	62.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.3	137 of 519	73.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	751 of 1447	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.3	594 of 1451	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.8	520 of 1455	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	817 of 1459	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.4	1116 of 1458	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.1	963 of 1440	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	354 of 981	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.3	215 of 961	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	102 of 951	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.3	215 of 915	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	53.8	352 of 893	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.6	193 of 843	77.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	699 of 1434	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.6	384 of 1437	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	373 of 1450	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	50.6	705 of 1437	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.8	1191 of 1366	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.5	897 of 1329	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	805 of 1451	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.5	467 of 1450	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	449 of 1464	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.5	609 of 1461	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.6	830 of 1464	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	870 of 1444	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.9	419 of 815	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.2	305 of 821	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.2	285 of 778	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.1	315 of 773	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.4	513 of 793	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	532 of 784	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.0	424 of 786	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.4	323 of 741	56.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.2	96 of 553	82.6%	★★★★☆
2025	68.5	124 of 546	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	51.4	219 of 560	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.1	250 of 559	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	186 of 550	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.4	94 of 533	82.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	294 of 731	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.6	383 of 733	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.4	592 of 738	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	591 of 731	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	425 of 733	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.3	264 of 706	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.1	47 of 566	91.7%	★★★★★
2025	81.6	57 of 562	89.9%	★★★★★
2024	60.2	179 of 564	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	279 of 553	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.0	220 of 541	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.2	56 of 522	89.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	190 of 725	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	65.1	187 of 729	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	28.1	577 of 743	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	519 of 735	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.9	433 of 689	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.8	301 of 633	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.6	266 of 736	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.0	246 of 733	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	356 of 751	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	448 of 747	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.0	389 of 748	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.4	357 of 711	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	184 of 500	63.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	79.1	124 of 658	81.2%	★★★★☆

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

English Language Learner (2026)74th percentile+26 vs school

African American (2026)70th percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2026)49th percentile~ school

Female (2026)48th percentile~ school

Male (2026)45th percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+28 vs school

African American (2026)83rd percentile+19 vs school

White (2022)81st percentile+35 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)60th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics58%~ state avg

Reading57%~ state avg

Science55%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southwest Charlotte STEM 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
Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	5203 Shopton Rd	Charlotte	28278	Mecklenburg County	Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 505-8344	884	55	16.0	97.9%	51 (5.8%)	554 (62.7%)	177 (20.0%)	36 (4.1%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (6.6%)	46.7	789^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.1%		62.3	526^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.7%	263	50.9	66.3	53.3	65.5	55.7	54.4	41.9	59.6	48.4	68.9	67.9	53.3	51.6	58.4
Berewick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5910 Dixie River Rd	Charlotte	28278	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 344-1010	717	45	15.9	99.6%	75 (10.5%)	295 (41.1%)	238 (33.2%)	66 (9.2%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (5.2%)	36	984^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.0%		38.4	947^th of 1490 public elementary schools	36.4%	37	74.4	48.8	50.8				51.6	44.8	44.9				55.1		$8,840	$767	$8,073
Steele Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Gallant Ln	Charlotte	28273	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-3810	525	32	16.3	99.4%	29 (5.5%)	178 (33.9%)	272 (51.8%)	23 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.2%)	38	942^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	36.9%		46	817^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.2%	125	56.5	67.0	59.8				43.0	43.0	40.2				66.7		$9,484	$699	$8,785
Steele Creek Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2200 Shopton Road	Charlotte	28217	Mecklenburg County	Steele Creek Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 243-5580	335	8	41.8	89.9%	6 (1.8%)	220 (65.7%)	82 (24.5%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.7%)	17.7	1325^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.2%		21.6	1251^st of 1490 public elementary schools	16.0%	74	45.2	19.1	16.7	54.3	55.6	40.9	45.2	31.9	30.6	60.0	63.0	63.6	30.6	68.2
South Pine Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2541 Sandy Porter Rd	Charlotte	28273	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-0765	765	40	18.9	99.6%	29 (3.8%)	264 (34.5%)	433 (56.6%)	21 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.4%)	22	1245^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.6%		6	1462^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	1.9%	217	53.0	61.9	41.7				28.7	42.9	36.9				51.5
Berryhill School	Public	PK, KG-8	10501 Windy Grove Rd	Charlotte	28278	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6100	423	31	13.5	99.3%	29 (6.9%)	45 (10.6%)	331 (78.3%)	10 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	26.3	1164^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.0%		25.6	1165^th of 1490 public elementary schools	21.8%	1	50.0	50.0	62.8	40.5	38.9	48.4	38.6	54.8	30.2	33.3	41.7	64.5	58.1	64.5	$12,434	$1,032	$11,401
Winget Park Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	12235 Winget Rd	Charlotte	28278	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-1063	677	41	16.7	44.3%	154 (22.7%)	264 (39.0%)	157 (23.2%)	65 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.5%)	80.9	231^st of 1492 public elementary schools	84.5%		77.7	283^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	81.0%	52	86.9	78.8	68.8				72.6	76.9	63.5				75.0		$9,518	$859	$8,659
Nations Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7050 Nations Ford Rd	Charlotte	28217	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5838	610	37	16.5	99.5%	21 (3.4%)	106 (17.4%)	472 (77.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.3%)	7.2	1450^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.8%		4.9	1472^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	1.2%	22	44.8	35.8	35.7				26.4	26.6	25.3				45.2		$9,317	$1,154	$8,163
Renaissance West STEAM Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3241 New Renaissance Way	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-0049	737	52	14.2	99.6%	23 (3.1%)	505 (68.5%)	172 (23.3%)	21 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.0%)	45.6	810^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.7%		48.2	778^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.8%	32	72.7	71.6	71.2	47.9	40.0	13.4	36.8	45.8	45.5	38.6	50.7	34.3	75.8	65.2	$10,213	$1,562	$8,650
Lake Wylie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13620 Erwin Rd	Charlotte	28273	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-3680	633	38	16.6	99.5%	86 (13.6%)	199 (31.4%)	274 (43.3%)	34 (5.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (5.8%)	51.9	693^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	53.6%		44.8	834^th of 1490 public elementary schools	44.0%	141	62.2	63.9	67.1				52.2	54.1	49.4				72.2		$10,023	$931	$9,092

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy

How many students attend Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 884 students attended Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy?

Students at Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy are 63% African American, 20% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% White, 4% Asian.

Is Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy a good school?

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy ranks 789^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy in?

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.