Westerly Hills Academy

Westerly Hills Academy is a PK–5 elementary school in Charlotte, NC, serving 522 students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district — a west Charlotte school in an extremely high-poverty area where more than 99% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school has shown remarkable momentum: after ranking in the bottom 5–6% of North Carolina elementary schools as recently as 2020–2021, it now sits at the 41st percentile statewide (2 stars) for 2025–2026.

Where Westerly Hills truly stands out is with students who are often underserved in high-poverty schools. African American students rank at the 76th percentile statewide, English Language Learners at the 79th percentile, and Hispanic students at the 67th percentile — all well above the school's overall rank. Science is the school's academic signature: 79.1% of 5th graders scored proficient on the state science EOG, beating the state average (67.7%) and far outpacing nearby schools like Bruns Avenue Elementary (32.6%), Reid Park Academy (42.2%), and Thomasboro Academy (43.5%).

Westerly Hills has also climbed while its neighbors have stagnated — Bruns Avenue Elementary sits at the 1st percentile, Movement Charter School at the 14th, Reid Park Academy at the 15th, and Thomasboro Academy at the 13th, making Westerly Hills a bright spot in a challenging cluster. Chronic absenteeism has dropped from 51% to 28.1%, better than most nearby schools. Reading remains the clearest area for improvement, with proficiency in the low-to-mid 40s across grades 3–5, below district and state averages. Math is strong in 3rd grade (68.2% proficient) but fades by 5th grade (52.3%). Special education students also need more support, ranking at the 23rd percentile in 2025–2026.