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Druid Hills Academy

Q: Is Druid Hills Academy a good school?

Druid Hills Academy ranks 864 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

864^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Druid Hills Academy is a small PK–8 school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with 288 students and nearly all of its families (about 99%) eligible for free or reduced lunch. While its overall 2025–2026 state ranking places it in the 42nd percentile (2 stars), that number hides what is arguably the most important thing to know about this school: it is in the middle of a remarkable turnaround. Just a few years ago, Druid Hills ranked in the 0–3rd percentile and earned 0 stars. It has climbed steadily since then — from 18th percentile in 2023–2024, to 25th the next year, and now to 42nd — a rare trajectory for a school serving such a high-poverty population.

Parents should know that Druid Hills’s strengths are not evenly spread across subjects. In math, the school beats the state average in 3rd grade (89.2% proficient vs. 66.4%), 4th grade, and 8th grade, where it is more than 12 points above North Carolina. Its African American, Hispanic, and low-income students also perform in the top third to top fifth of comparable groups statewide. Attendance has improved dramatically, too: chronic absenteeism dropped from nearly 70% just a few years ago to about 31% today. Small classes are another plus, with a student-teacher ratio of just 9.7 — lower than nearby Hidden Valley Elementary (16.4) or Bruns Avenue Elementary (18.2).

The clearest area of concern is reading after 3rd grade. While 3rd-grade reading tracks the state average, proficiency falls about 23 points below the state in 4th and 5th grades, and stays low through 8th grade. This is the biggest obstacle to the school earning a 3- or 4-star rating. For context, nearby Oaklawn Language Academy — also a high-poverty PK–8 school about 1.5 miles away — posted a 71.2% 4th-grade reading proficiency versus Druid Hills’s 34.2%, though Druid Hills outscored Oaklawn in 8th-grade math and 3rd-grade math. In science, results are mixed: 8th graders roughly meet the state average, but 5th graders trail it by about 21 points. Ultimately, Druid Hills appears to be a school on the rise, with genuine strengths in early math, 8th-grade math, and subgroup support — and a clear, specific challenge to tackle in upper-grade literacy.

288

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

99%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2801 Lucena Ave
Charlotte, NC 28206-2168

(980) 343-5515

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend Druid Hills Academy usually attend:

High:

West Charlotte High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.7%

Hispanic:

31.3%

Two or more races:

4.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Druid Hills Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2016 → 42nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (54% vs 59% meeting standards)

!Reading scores 16 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

864^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

471^st of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 33 pts since 2016

From bottom 6% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	864 of 1492	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	1120 of 1490	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	1232 of 1505	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.1	1463 of 1502	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.9	1495 of 1514	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.7	1484 of 1489	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.5	1443 of 1473	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.6	1302 of 1434	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.1	1291 of 1429	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	14.8	1270 of 1425	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	7.3	1375 of 1440	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	16.7	1210 of 1390	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	5.1	1381 of 1403	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	4.9	1360 of 1388	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	2.6	1366 of 1381	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	3.7	1346 of 1363	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.2	1304 of 1354	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.8	1303 of 1324	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	7.6	1249 of 1293	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	14.7	1173 of 1276	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	300 of 903	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.4	433 of 918	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.5	358 of 924	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.0	705 of 933	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.4	886 of 927	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	891 of 896	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	882 of 949	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.6	694 of 927	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	785 of 1447	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.4	1097 of 1451	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	865 of 1455	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	6.2	1430 of 1459	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.6	1428 of 1458	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.6	1433 of 1440	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	1346 of 1424	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.7	1161 of 1405	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	194 of 981	80.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	453 of 1434	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.0	606 of 1437	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	719 of 1450	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	23.2	1207 of 1437	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.1	1336 of 1366	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.5	1313 of 1329	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.9	1321 of 1361	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	1157 of 1332	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	803 of 1451	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.4	1049 of 1450	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	1353 of 1464	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.9	1401 of 1461	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.7	1450 of 1464	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.7	1438 of 1444	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.8	1423 of 1430	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.8	1350 of 1413	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	471 of 778	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.2	402 of 773	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.7	670 of 793	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	1.8	771 of 784	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.1	746 of 786	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.5	730 of 741	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	690 of 737	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	634 of 691	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	10.9	635 of 694	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.0	649 of 692	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.3	639 of 705	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	6.7	605 of 627	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.0	626 of 673	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.2	620 of 662	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	136 of 553	75.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.3	63 of 546	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	55.9	183 of 560	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	8.8	549 of 559	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	484 of 550	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	505 of 533	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.5	443 of 519	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	422 of 494	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	48 of 363	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	29.9	265 of 356	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	474 of 731	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.1	407 of 733	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.2	612 of 738	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	1.4	731 of 731	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.3	724 of 733	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.2	691 of 706	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	626 of 684	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.4	602 of 656	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	421 of 566	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	561 of 564	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.5	531 of 541	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	215 of 725	70.3%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	134 of 729	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	52.4	325 of 743	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	4.1	726 of 735	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.1	621 of 689	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.6	608 of 633	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.7	602 of 639	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	538 of 604	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	390 of 736	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	346 of 733	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	16.3	661 of 751	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	2.1	739 of 747	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	681 of 748	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.7	703 of 711	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.6	672 of 697	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.4	627 of 665	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

Hispanic (2026)80th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)68th percentile+26 vs school

African American (2026)67th percentile+25 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)45th percentile+3 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2026)87th percentile+47 vs school

African American (2026)75th percentile+36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile+31 vs school

Male (2026)47th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)26th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics67%+7 vs state

Science57%-11 vs state

Reading40%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Druid Hills 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
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
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
Highland Renaissance Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	125 W Craighead Rd	Charlotte	28206	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5511	443	30	14.9	99.3%	20 (4.5%)	184 (41.5%)	219 (49.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.8%)	21.9	1248^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.4%		29	1104^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.9%	144	56.2	63.8	30.5				34.2	39.7	32.2				54.2		$12,308	$1,987	$10,321
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
Highland Mill Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	3201 Clemson Ave	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5525	341	23	14.8	22.0%	155 (45.5%)	113 (33.1%)	32 (9.4%)	13 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.2%)	92.1	84^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.4%		89.3	118^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.1%	34	88.4	85.7	82.1	76.0			86.0	88.6	71.8	76.0			89.7		$13,792	$1,243	$12,549
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
Villa Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Everett Place	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-3666	153	15	10.3	98.0%	32 (20.9%)	81 (52.9%)	29 (19.0%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.2%)	36.5	967^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.2%		43.8	855^th of 1490 public elementary schools	42.6%	112	65.0	42.9	63.6				35.0	50.0	45.5				68.2		$14,935	$566	$14,370
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
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
Hidden Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5100 Snow White Ln	Charlotte	28213	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6810	808	49	16.4	99.6%	16 (2.0%)	252 (31.2%)	522 (64.6%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	6.1	1458^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.3%		3.8	1478^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.8%	20	48.2	31.1	29.9				19.7	25.0	28.7				39.0		$10,096	$1,186	$8,910

Frequently Asked Questions about Druid Hills Academy

What schools do graduates of Druid Hills Academy attend?

Students who attend Druid Hills Academy usually go on to attend:

High : West Charlotte High School

How many students attend Druid Hills Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 288 students attended Druid Hills Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Druid Hills Academy?

Students at Druid Hills Academy are 60% African American, 31% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Asian.

What district is Druid Hills Academy in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Is Druid Hills Academy a good school?

Druid Hills Academy ranks 864^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Druid Hills 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.