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Charlotte East Language Academy

Q: Is Charlotte East Language Academy a good school?

Charlotte East Language Academy ranks 491 st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades K-8

491^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Charlotte East Language Academy (CELA) is a K–8 school in Charlotte, NC, serving 594 students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, where nearly all students (roughly 99%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Over the past five years, the school has climbed from the 9th percentile statewide in 2020–21 to the 67th percentile in 2025–26, earning a 3-star rating and a place in the top third of North Carolina schools.

That momentum carries into the classroom. CELA's math proficiency exceeds district and state averages at every grade level tested, and its 8th grade science proficiency of 87% is far above the state's 68.6%. In math, the school leads nearby options, including Idlewild Elementary and Oakhurst STEAM Academy. Reading tells a more uneven story: 4th grade reading (68.4% proficient) is the strongest in the immediate area and above district and state averages, but 3rd grade reading (49.5%) trails both, as do 6th and 7th grade results. Still, CELA's average reading performance in grades 3–5 is the highest among nearby schools.

One of CELA's most striking differences shows up outside the classroom: chronic absenteeism has fallen from over 32% in 2021–22 to just 7.5% in 2024–25, compared with a district rate of 26.8% and neighboring school rates between 18.5% and 37%. The school also delivers exceptional results for high-need students — low-income students rank in the 86th percentile statewide, Hispanic students in the 80th, and English language learners in the 71st. With a low student–teacher ratio of 11.6 to 1, CELA has become a standout high-poverty school in its part of Charlotte. The main areas to watch are early-grade reading and outcomes for special education and gifted students, both of which trail the school's otherwise strong performance.

594

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6108 Wilora Lake Rd
Charlotte, NC 28212-2836

(980) 343-0380

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend Charlotte East Language Academy usually attend:

High:

Independence High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.5%

White:

7.2%

African American:

6.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Charlotte East Language Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 19th percentile in 2019 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (65% vs 59% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 48 percentile points since 2019

✓Above the North Carolina median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

491^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 48 pts since 2019

From bottom 19% (2019) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

296^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 44 pts since 2021

From bottom 18% (2021) to top 38% (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	66.1	491 of 1492	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.6	536 of 1490	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.1	1064 of 1505	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	1130 of 1502	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	1253 of 1514	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	1361 of 1489	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	1192 of 1473	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	46.2	481 of 924	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	501 of 933	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.5	721 of 927	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.5	764 of 896	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	658 of 949	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	150 of 519	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	63.3	133 of 563	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	53.3	192 of 533	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.9	308 of 514	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.8	360 of 485	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	280 of 385	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.0	174 of 497	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	594 of 1447	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	743 of 1451	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.4	1156 of 1455	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	994 of 1459	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.9	1279 of 1458	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	1325 of 1440	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.4	1087 of 1424	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	555 of 743	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.7	626 of 710	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.6	464 of 669	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.9	461 of 582	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	192 of 981	80.4%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	187 of 961	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	45.1	520 of 951	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.5	575 of 915	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.3	678 of 893	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.4	715 of 843	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.0	630 of 865	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	200 of 1434	86.1%	★★★★☆
2025	74.7	230 of 1437	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	34.6	1026 of 1450	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.3	907 of 1437	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.9	1015 of 1366	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	1171 of 1329	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.1	947 of 1361	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	392 of 1451	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.5	329 of 1450	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	41.8	871 of 1464	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.1	1179 of 1461	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	1142 of 1464	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	1304 of 1444	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	1211 of 1430	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	518 of 815	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.2	617 of 821	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	296 of 778	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.4	302 of 773	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.0	548 of 793	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.5	671 of 784	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	702 of 786	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.6	611 of 741	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	34.3	375 of 559	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	364 of 550	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.8	396 of 533	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.3	84 of 363	76.9%	★★★★☆
2025	65.0	69 of 371	81.4%	★★★★☆
2024	61.1	71 of 356	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	31.8	234 of 318	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	217 of 312	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.6	155 of 236	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.1	413 of 731	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.4	337 of 733	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.8	474 of 738	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.2	662 of 731	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.4	690 of 733	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.8	636 of 706	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.9	124 of 566	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	72.0	104 of 562	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	41.2	348 of 564	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.8	446 of 553	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	481 of 541	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	402 of 522	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.7	57 of 725	92.1%	★★★★★
2025	82.6	67 of 729	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	62.2	232 of 743	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.0	515 of 735	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.9	507 of 689	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	449 of 633	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	177 of 736	76.0%	★★★★☆
2025	60.2	263 of 733	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.2	556 of 751	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	640 of 747	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	631 of 748	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.7	538 of 711	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile+19 vs school

Hispanic (2026)80th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)73rd percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)59th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2024)48th percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile-31 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)25th percentile-42 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)92nd percentile+30 vs school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile+16 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)77th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)76th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile-18 vs school

African American (2023)33rd percentile+19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science78%+9 vs state

Mathematics73%+13 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, July 21, 2020

I could not be happier with the education my child has received at CELA. Excellent staff, strong culture, and beautiful campus. Close Quote

Schools Near Charlotte East Language 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
Charlotte East Language Academy	Public, Magnet	K-8	6108 Wilora Lake Rd	Charlotte	28212	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-0380	594	51	11.6	99.5%	43 (7.2%)	40 (6.7%)	496 (83.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.9%)	66.1	491^st of 1492 public elementary schools	67.1%		61.6	536^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.0%	45	81.3	78.5	68.6	72.7	62.3	71.7	49.5	68.4	55.7	48.5	44.2	58.7	71.4	87.0	$12,246	$1,264	$10,982
Movement School Eastland	Public, Charter	K-5	5249 Central Avenue	Charlotte	28212	Mecklenburg County	Movement School Eastland	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 532-0640	523	31	16.8	99.2%	8 (1.5%)	322 (61.6%)	113 (21.6%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	69 (13.2%)	47.5	774^th of 1492 public elementary schools	48.1%		41.4	892^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	40.1%	118	67.6	66.7	43.2				47.9	60.0	56.8				54.5
Esperanza Global Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	5932 Farm Pond Lane	Charlotte	28212	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(980) 343-6270	538	32	16.7	99.4%	33 (6.1%)	107 (19.9%)	355 (66.0%)	34 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	24.9	1193^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.0%		13.8	1367^th of 1490 public elementary schools	8.3%	174	61.0	47.0	63.3				23.4	25.3	32.9				60.8
Winterfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Winterfield Pl	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6400	461	31	15.0	99.3%	28 (6.1%)	68 (14.8%)	335 (72.7%)	24 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	22.1	1243^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	16.7%		8.3	1441^st of 1490 public elementary schools	3.3%	198	54.9	37.8	65.7				22.5	20.3	32.8				63.6		$10,757	$1,201	$9,556
Lawrence Orr Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4835 Shamrock Dr	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-9919	751	50	15.1	99.6%	29 (3.9%)	230 (30.6%)	415 (55.3%)	54 (7.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.9%)	44.9	830^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.4%		27.3	1123^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	24.6%	293	79.4	52.0	57.0				56.9	44.9	44.2				62.8		$10,043	$1,471	$8,571
Windsor Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3910 Sudbury Rd	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6405	470	29	16.0	99.4%	19 (4.0%)	62 (13.2%)	343 (73.0%)	27 (5.7%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.9%)	12 (2.6%)	48.1	763^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	48.9%		43.1	863^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	42.1%	100	73.4	46.5	84.4				55.7	36.6	53.1				60.9		$10,837	$1,304	$9,533
Albemarle Road Elementary	Public	K-5	7800 Riding Trail Rd	Charlotte	28212	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6414	711	43	16.7	99.6%	18 (2.5%)	156 (21.9%)	449 (63.2%)	75 (10.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.7%)	32.5	1048^th of 1492 public elementary schools	29.8%		22.1	1243^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	16.6%	195	59.4	55.9	50.0				45.3	51.0	44.0				54.5		$10,415	$1,158	$9,257
Idlewild Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7101 Idlewild Rd	Charlotte	28212	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6411	850	50	16.9	99.6%	67 (7.9%)	215 (25.3%)	432 (50.8%)	114 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.6%)	59.8	584^th of 1492 public elementary schools	60.9%		53.5	681^st of 1490 public elementary schools	54.3%	97	79.2	66.1	73.4				55.6	49.6	51.8				70.6		$10,358	$1,242	$9,115
Hickory Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6709 Pence Rd	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6464	643	32	20.2	99.5%	27 (4.2%)	230 (35.8%)	319 (49.6%)	45 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	25.4	1176^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.2%		16.6	1332^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	10.6%	156	61.2	40.9	46.7				49.0	41.9	42.2				50.0		$10,933	$1,524	$9,409
Merry Oaks International Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	3508 Draper Ave	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6422	601	41	14.8	99.5%	23 (3.8%)	134 (22.3%)	420 (69.9%)	12 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	9.9	1423^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	4.6%		10.7	1408^th of 1490 public elementary schools	5.5%	15	37.8	25.8	53.9				23.7	21.3	29.9				51.9		$11,588	$1,304	$10,284

Frequently Asked Questions about Charlotte East Language Academy

What district is Charlotte East Language Academy in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

How many students attend Charlotte East Language Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 594 students attended Charlotte East Language Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Charlotte East Language Academy?

Students at Charlotte East Language Academy are 84% Hispanic, 7% White, 7% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Charlotte East Language Academy a good school?

Charlotte East Language Academy ranks 491^st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Charlotte East Language Academy attend?

Students who attend Charlotte East Language Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Independence High School

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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.