Summary:
Zip code 28211 in Charlotte, NC is home to three elementary schools—Sharon Elementary, Selwyn Elementary, and Rama Road Elementary—all part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, serving grades K-5 (Rama Road adds Pre-K) with enrollments between 560 and 690 students. Despite sharing the same zip code, these schools paint dramatically different pictures, with state rankings ranging from the 97th percentile down to the 39th percentile.
Selwyn Elementary is the standout of the three, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 40th out of roughly 1,500 elementary schools statewide, with average EOG proficiency around 88%. Its math scores are especially strong—92.6% of 4th graders and 92.0% of 5th graders scored proficient. Sharon Elementary is also excellent, ranking 94th with a 5-star rating and 83% average proficiency, while posting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (7.2%) of the group. Both schools beat district and state averages on every subject and grade tested. Rama Road Elementary, however, ranks 916th with a 2-star rating and roughly 54% average proficiency—a nearly 34-point gap compared with Selwyn.
These differences align closely with poverty levels: Sharon and Selwyn both have free/reduced lunch rates near 14.8%, while Rama Road's is 99.5%. Rama Road also has a 33.0% chronic absenteeism rate versus 7-10% at the other two schools. Notably, Rama Road receives the highest per-pupil funding ($11,718) yet has the lowest scores, underscoring that financial resources alone do not quickly overcome the structural challenges of poverty. There are encouraging trends, though: Rama Road has steadily improved its state rank for three consecutive years, from 1,140th in 2023-24 to 916th in 2025-26, with notable gains in 4th and 5th grade math and 5th grade science. For parents, Selwyn and Sharon are both elite options with minor academic differences, while Rama Road serves a very different population and is showing a positive trajectory.
Thank you for your feedback!