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Irwin Academic Center

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

81^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 95% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Irwin Academic Center is a K–5 elementary school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools located at 329 N. Irwin Avenue in Charlotte, enrolling 371 students and earning a 5-star state rating — ranked #81 out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools for the 2025–2026 school year, putting it in the top 5% statewide. Irwin has ranked among the state's best elementary schools since 2015–2016, and after a dip in the early 2020s, it has rebounded strongly with notable test-score improvements across every grade level.

Academically, Irwin far exceeds both CMS district and North Carolina state averages in every tested subject. Reading is a standout: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade reading proficiency rates range from 82.9% to 84.6% — roughly 25 percentage points above district averages. Math is similarly strong, led by 4th-grade math at 88.7% versus 66.5% districtwide and 61.4% statewide. Within two miles, Irwin competes with Dilworth Elementary School Latta Campus (ranked #32) and Lincoln Heights Montessori (#141), while far outpacing nearby Bruns Avenue Elementary (#1470) and Walter G. Byers School (#1416), where proficiency rates trail by 50 points or more. Notably, Irwin accomplishes this while serving a larger low-income population than some higher-ranked neighbors, making its achievements especially meaningful.

Attendance is another major strength. Only 5.6% of Irwin students are chronically absent — meaning they miss a significant portion of the school year — compared with 26.8% across CMS and 24.2% statewide. Nearby schools range dramatically, from Lincoln Heights Montessori at 5.1% to Movement Charter School at 45.3%. Irwin also posts strong results across student subgroups, including low-income students and those receiving special education services, whose scores improved sharply in the most recent year. For parents, Irwin Academic Center combines elite academics, exceptional attendance, and consistent success for a broad range of learners, making it one of the most compelling elementary school options in the Charlotte area.

371

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

33.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

329 N. Irwin Ave
Charlotte, NC 28202-1220

(980) 343-5480

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.8%

White:

21.6%

Hispanic:

9.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Irwin Academic Center to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (84% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school84%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

81^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 5%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

105^th of 246Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	81 of 1492	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	88.9	122 of 1490	91.8%	★★★★★
2024	76.3	306 of 1505	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	292 of 1502	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	87.6	137 of 1514	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	95.7	43 of 1489	97.1%	★★★★★
2019	96.4	14 of 1473	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	93.9	40 of 1434	97.2%	★★★★★
2017	91.3	73 of 1429	94.9%	★★★★★
2016	87.4	120 of 1425	91.6%	★★★★★
2015	92.9	51 of 1440	96.5%	★★★★★
2014	94.4	43 of 1390	96.9%	★★★★★
2013	98.8	11 of 1403	99.2%	★★★★★
2012	91.7	2 of 1388	99.9%	★★★★★
2011	92.1	1 of 1381	99.9%	★★★★★
2010	90.0	34 of 1363	97.5%	★★★★★
2009	92.8	6 of 1354	99.6%	★★★★★
2008	96.5	6 of 1324	99.5%	★★★★★
2007	91.5	15 of 1293	98.8%	★★★★★
2006	85.7	100 of 1276	92.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.5	20 of 903	97.8%	★★★★★
2025	92.9	32 of 918	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	81.5	98 of 924	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	93 of 933	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.7	42 of 927	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	99.1	6 of 896	99.3%	★★★★★
2019	98.8	4 of 949	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.8	4 of 927	99.6%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	66.1	48 of 114	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.0	29 of 107	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.2	13 of 95	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.6	5 of 106	95.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.9	94 of 1447	93.5%	★★★★★
2025	87.6	121 of 1451	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	76.3	270 of 1455	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.4	285 of 1459	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	122 of 1458	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	94.1	57 of 1440	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	94.3	22 of 1424	98.5%	★★★★★
2018	91.5	56 of 1405	96.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	193 of 743	74.0%	★★★★☆
2025	66.6	193 of 710	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	31.2	612 of 669	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	568 of 582	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.6	459 of 500	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	50.7	330 of 494	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.6	601 of 612	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	54.4	38 of 69	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	75 of 1434	94.8%	★★★★★
2025	77.5	192 of 1437	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	62.4	449 of 1450	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.4	470 of 1437	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	430 of 1366	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	94.2	18 of 1361	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	89.6	48 of 1332	96.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.6	81 of 1451	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	87.4	123 of 1450	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	73.1	335 of 1464	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	292 of 1461	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	85.6	159 of 1464	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	94.9	43 of 1444	97.0%	★★★★★
2019	96.5	10 of 1430	99.3%	★★★★★
2018	94.2	29 of 1413	97.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	72.0	116 of 821	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	45.2	383 of 801	52.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.1	4 of 1146	99.7%	★★★★★
2025	96.0	5 of 1172	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	3 of 1166	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	96.0	3 of 1183	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	94.4	10 of 1194	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	96.4	5 of 1172	99.6%	★★★★★
2019	95.7	5 of 1183	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	91.0	36 of 1178	96.9%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)100th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)98th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile~ school

Male (2026)94th percentile~ school

Female (2026)94th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)86th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)74th percentile-21 vs school

Asian (2023)58th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics86%+22 vs state

Reading83%+27 vs state

Science82%+14 vs state

3.8

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 12, 2018

This is one of the worse schools in world. The Teachers don't teach they babysit. Most of them don't have gifted licenses and spend most of their workday studying for test and bettering themselves. They are "facilitating" but failed to read the personalized learning plan that says you are to "instruct" which means teach. Sounds like these facilitators have reading comprehension problem. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, December 4, 2016

Quality of teacher/staff has diminished. Does not live up to the hype that parents and staff spoke about during the Open House. Academic scores have dropped as well. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, October 29, 2010

Villa Heights is an excellent school. It is a learning immersion//talent development (gifted) magnet. The staff is nurturing and excellent at their job. Both my children have done very well in this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Irwin Academic Center

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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
Irwin Academic Center	Public, Magnet	K-5	329 N. Irwin Ave	Charlotte	28202	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5480	371	27	13.9	33.4%	80 (21.6%)	196 (52.8%)	36 (9.7%)	30 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.8%)	92.4	81^st of 1492 public elementary schools	94.6%		88.9	122^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	91.8%	41	84.1	88.7	84.6				82.9	83.1	84.6				81.5		$11,169	$603	$10,566
Walter G. Byers School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	1415 Hamilton St	Charlotte	28206	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6940	303	25	12.3	99.0%	8 (2.6%)	230 (75.9%)	57 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	10.4	1416^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.1%		14.2	1361^st of 1490 public elementary schools	8.7%	55	41.0	37.1	39.0	28.2	22.2	9.3	33.3	22.9	36.6	17.9	37.8	34.1	56.4	37.2	$16,972	$2,176	$14,796
Bruns Avenue Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	501 S. Bruns Ave	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-5495	415	23	18.2	99.3%	10 (2.4%)	304 (73.3%)	86 (20.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	4.2	1470^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.5%		6.1	1458^th of 1490 public elementary schools	2.1%	12	39.3	26.1	36.0				25.0	20.4	26.7				32.6		$14,397	$3,116	$11,281
Oaklawn Language Academy	Public, Magnet	K-8	1810 Oaklawn Ave	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-0400	531	42	12.5	97.4%	49 (9.2%)	110 (20.7%)	360 (67.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	8 (1.5%)	75.5	312^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.1%		71.4	368^th of 1490 public elementary schools	75.3%	56	85.0	76.3	68.9	71.7	74.1	59.6	60.0	71.2	68.2	54.7	75.9	55.3	77.8	59.6	$10,283	$656	$9,627
Lincoln Heights Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1900 New Castle St	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-9442	244	19	13.0	38.9%	60 (24.6%)	110 (45.1%)	39 (16.0%)	10 (4.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.4%)	88.5	141^st of 1492 public elementary schools	90.5%		89	121^st of 1490 public elementary schools	91.9%	20	82.8	86.7	75.0	75.0			75.9	86.7	75.0	68.8			90.0		$15,600	$194	$15,406
University Park Creative Arts	Public, Magnet	K-5	2400 Hildebrand St	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-5178	212	24	8.7	97.6%	10 (4.7%)	143 (67.5%)	55 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	57.6	618^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.6%		48.7	764^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.7%	146	83.7	63.9	63.8				58.1	49.2	47.8				78.3		$12,569	$1,100	$11,469
Dilworth Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	405 E. Park Avenue	Charlotte	28203	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-5826	411	22	18.9	14.8%	282 (68.6%)	39 (9.5%)	41 (10.0%)	12 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.0%)								(n/a)															$14,132	$922	$13,209
Dilworth Elementary School Latta Campus	Public	3-5	405 E. Park Ave	Charlotte	28203	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-2240	330	24	13.8	18.8%	235 (71.2%)	36 (10.9%)	32 (9.7%)	13 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.2%)	95.7	32^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	97.9%		96.5	29^th of 1490 public elementary schools	98.1%	3	93.2	92.1	86.4				85.6	86.8	85.5				89.1		$11,343	$736	$10,607
Movement Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2701-B Freedom Dr	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Movement Freedom	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 585-1356	625	37	17.0	99.5%	10 (1.6%)	539 (86.2%)	50 (8.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	19.7	1285^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.9%		9.9	1424^th of 1490 public elementary schools	4.4%	139	75.0	25.0	21.2			47.6	46.2	32.8	36.5			57.1	48.1	85.7
Druid Hills Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	2801 Lucena Ave	Charlotte	28206	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5515	288	30	9.7	99.0%	7 (2.4%)	172 (59.7%)	90 (31.3%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	42.7	864^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.1%		27.4	1120^th of 1490 public elementary schools	24.8%	256	89.2	73.7	50.0	59.5	55.6	65.7	59.5	34.2	32.3	40.5	29.6	40.0	46.7	65.7	$15,769	$2,330	$13,439

Frequently Asked Questions about Irwin Academic Center

How many students attend Irwin Academic Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 371 students attended Irwin Academic Center.

Is Irwin Academic Center a good school?

Yes. Irwin Academic Center ranks in the top 5.4% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Irwin Academic Center?

Students at Irwin Academic Center are 53% African American, 22% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

What district is Irwin Academic Center in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

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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.