District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
14,504
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
28
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
15.6:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$12,540
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$7,806
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Cleveland County Schools
Cleveland County Schools operates 28 current public-school records serving grades PK–12 in Shelby, North Carolina. NCES reports 14,504 students and 931.7 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 24 of 331 North Carolina districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $12,540 in current expenditure per pupil and $7,806 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 120 of 318 districts in North Carolina. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 2%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 14.5%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 931.7
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $180,646,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Cleveland County Schools location
Shelby, North Carolina · 35.2927, -81.5455. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White55.4%
- Hispanic10.1%
- Black26.5%
- Asian0.7%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial7.1%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Cleveland County Schools
28 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 28 of 28 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethware Elementary | Elementary | PK–04 | 548 | 14.4:1 |
| Boiling Springs Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 558 | 14.8:1 |
| Burns High | High | 09–12 | 928 | 15.9:1 |
| Burns Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 744 | 17.2:1 |
| Casar Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 275 | 14.3:1 |
| Cleveland ECHS | High | 09–12 | 225 | 20.2:1 |
| Cleveland Innovation Virtual | Other | KG–12 | 187 | 14.2:1 |
| Crest High | High | 09–12 | 1,098 | 18.8:1 |
| Crest Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 810 | 16.3:1 |
| East Elementary | Elementary | PK–04 | 199 | 10.8:1 |
| Elizabeth Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 649 | 17.8:1 |
| Fallston Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 502 | 13.9:1 |
| Grover Elementary | Elementary | PK–04 | 323 | 15.2:1 |
| James Love Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 376 | 12.3:1 |
| Jefferson Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 439 | 14.6:1 |
| Kings Mountain High | High | 09–12 | 1,305 | 18.2:1 |
| Kings Mountain Intermediate | Middle | 05–06 | 601 | 19:1 |
| Kings Mountain Middle | Middle | 07–08 | 631 | 17:1 |
| North Elementary | Elementary | PK–04 | 272 | 12:1 |
| North Shelby | Other | PK–12 | 76 | 5.6:1 |
| Shelby High | High | 09–12 | 792 | 15.4:1 |
| Shelby Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 588 | 16.6:1 |
| Springmore Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 618 | 15.1:1 |
| Township Three Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 540 | 15.2:1 |
| Turning Point Academy | High | 06–12 | 142 | 11.8:1 |
| Union Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 413 | 13.7:1 |
| Washington Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 376 | 14.4:1 |
| West Elementary | Elementary | PK–04 | 289 | 14:1 |