Top Rankings
Cleveland County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 7 public middle schools serving 3,233 students in Cleveland County Schools School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Cleveland County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 51% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 47% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 45% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
28 Schools
882 Schools
# Students
14,458 Students
494,023 Students
# Teachers
948 Teachers
31,644 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Cleveland County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has decreased from 90% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#139 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
56%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
48%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
65%
63%
Graduation Rate
86%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.60
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
9%
20%
% Black
27%
25%
% White
56%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $11,058 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,102 is less than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$160 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$161 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,058
$11,187
Spending / Student
$11,102
$11,612
Best Cleveland County Schools School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
North Shelby
Special Education School
(Math: 60-79% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1701 Charles Road
Shelby, NC 28152
(704) 476-8230
Shelby, NC 28152
(704) 476-8230
Grades: PK-12
| 77 students
Rank: #22.
Kings Mountain Middle School
(Math: 56% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
1000 Phifer Road
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 476-8340
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 476-8340
Grades: 7-8
| 664 students
Rank: #33.
Burns Middle School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
215 Shady Grove Road
Lawndale, NC 28090
(704) 476-8223
Lawndale, NC 28090
(704) 476-8223
Grades: 6-8
| 756 students
Rank: #44.
Crest Middle School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
315 Beaverdam Church Rd
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8221
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8221
Grades: 6-8
| 833 students
Rank: #55.
Cleveland Innovation
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
400 W Marion St
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8000
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8000
Grades: K-12
| 164 students
Rank: #66.
Shelby Middle School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1480 South Dekalb Street
Shelby, NC 28152
(704) 476-8328
Shelby, NC 28152
(704) 476-8328
Grades: 6-8
| 591 students
Rank: #77.
Turning Point Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
409 West Sumter Street
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8399
Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 476-8399
Grades: 6-12
| 148 students
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