Is James Love Elementary a good school?

James Love Elementary ranks 1080 th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend James Love Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 356 students attended James Love Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Love Elementary?

Students at James Love Elementary are 54% African American, 25% White, 14% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of James Love Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Love Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Shelby Middle High : Cleveland ECHS High : Shelby High

James Love Elementary

Summary:

James Love Elementary is a public elementary school in Shelby, North Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Cleveland County Schools district.

While the school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (56.86%) compared to nearby schools, it has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a SchoolDigger rating ranging from 1 to 3 stars out of 5. James Love Elementary students consistently underperform compared to state and district averages in mathematics, reading, and science proficiency, with only 35.1% of 3rd-grade students proficient in reading, compared to the state average of 48.7% and the district average of 47.7%. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools in the Cleveland County Schools district, such as Grover Elementary and Springmore Elementary, James Love Elementary generally performs worse across various metrics, including test scores, school rankings, and student-teacher ratios. These findings suggest that socioeconomic factors and resource availability may be contributing to the challenges faced by James Love Elementary, and targeted interventions and support programs may be necessary to address these issues and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

309 James Love Road
Shelby, NC 28152-7041

(704) 476-8385

District: Cleveland County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1080^th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,191

Students who attend James Love Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Shelby Middle
High:	Cleveland ECHS
	Shelby High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.1

Number of students: 356

Racial breakdown:

African American:

53.9%

White:

25.0%

Hispanic:

14.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare James Love Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Love Elementary ranks worse than 71.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 12^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.1. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at James Love Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (53.9%), White (25%), Hispanic (14%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Love Elementary is 12.1, which is the 2^nd best among 15 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare James Love Elementary employs 29.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Love Elementary is $12,191, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Love Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James Love Elementary 1080^th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See James Love Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Cleveland County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cleveland County Schools 121^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for James Love Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2012	59.02	622^nd	1388	55.2%
2013	40.17	842^nd	1403	40.0%
2014	28.25	1034^th	1390	25.6%
2015	24.16	1161^st	1440	19.4%
2016	23.95	1164^th	1425	18.3%
2017	22.53	1183^rd	1429	17.2%
2018	45.06	840^th	1434	41.4%
2019	23.02	1223^rd	1473	17.0%
2021	41.06	860^th	1489	42.2%
2022	59.19	607^th	1514	59.9%
2023	46.52	823^rd	1502	45.2%
2024	31.10	1080^th	1505	28.2%

See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.48	626^th	801	21.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	72.92	259^th	1332	80.6%
2019	38.25	908^th	1361	33.3%
2021	54.86	498^th	1329	62.5%
2022	75.33	203^rd	1366	85.1%
2023	61.95	457^th	1437	68.2%
2024	43.00	868^th	1450	40.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	42.64	882^nd	1405	37.2%
2019	12.42	1325^th	1424	7.0%
2021	40.13	835^th	1440	42.0%
2022	68.08	409^th	1458	71.9%
2023	55.02	637^th	1459	56.3%
2024	34.15	1018^th	1455	30.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	59.62	173^rd	646	73.2%
2022	42.27	314^th	634	50.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	48.00	789^th	1413	44.2%
2019	36.94	990^th	1430	30.8%
2021	42.61	808^th	1444	44.0%
2022	48.50	745^th	1464	49.1%
2023	40.23	913^th	1461	37.5%
2024	29.36	1088^th	1464	25.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	73.70	150^th	927	83.8%
2019	44.85	525^th	949	44.7%
2021	70.25	146^th	896	83.7%
2022	85.52	66^th	927	92.9%
2023	72.31	182^nd	933	80.5%
2024	52.71	391^st	924	57.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at James Love Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	14.26	1101^st	1172	6.1%
2023	30.41	907^th	1183	23.3%
2024	31.02	877^th	1166	24.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for James Love Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	68	205	2	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	289
2006	77	231	4	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	334
2007	88	216	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	16	339
2008	57	190	4	16	0	n/a	n/a	12	279
2009	49	188	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	255
2010	79	201	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	297
2011	82	200	2	19	0	0	11	0	314
2012	83	221	4	35	0	0	19	0	362
2013	85	230	4	21	0	0	14	0	354
2014	63	205	2	23	0	0	16	0	309
2015	91	248	2	22	1	1	18	0	383
2016	75	268	0	16	0	1	24	0	384
2017	63	257	1	28	0	1	22	0	372
2018	68	267	2	21	1	2	17	0	378
2019	81	230	2	20	0	0	14	0	347
2020	74	195	3	19	0	0	28	0	319
2021	78	204	3	20	0	0	16	0	321
2022	79	220	3	28	0	0	19	0	349
2023	88	199	0	34	1	0	28	0	350
2024	89	192	0	50	0	0	25	0	356

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James Love Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	289	16.0	18.1	95.5
2006	334	16.0	20.9	74.3
2007	339	n/a	n/a	85.8
2008	279	25.8	10.8	103.4
2009	255	25.4	10.0	98.8
2010	297	22.5	13.2	17.5
2011	314	22.8	13.7	61.8
2012	362	24.4	14.7	79.6
2013	354	25.2	14.0	92.7
2014	309	24.4	12.6	99
2015	383	27.0	14.1	88.3
2016	384	26.0	14.7	90.1
2017	372	25.2	14.7	99.2
2018	378	25.2	14.9	96
2019	347	25.1	13.8	99.1
2020	319	27.0	11.7	99.1
2021	321	27.4	11.6	99.1
2022	349	28.8	12.0	99.1
2023	350	30.2	11.5	99.1
2024	356	29.3	12.1	99.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio James Love Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	289	16.0	18.1	95.5
2006	334	16.0	20.9	74.3
2007	339	n/a	n/a	85.8
2008	279	25.8	10.8	103.4
2009	255	25.4	10.0	98.8
2010	297	22.5	13.2	17.5
2011	314	22.8	13.7	61.8
2012	362	24.4	14.7	79.6
2013	354	25.2	14.0	92.7
2014	309	24.4	12.6	99
2015	383	27.0	14.1	88.3
2016	384	26.0	14.7	90.1
2017	372	25.2	14.7	99.2
2018	378	25.2	14.9	96
2019	347	25.1	13.8	99.1
2020	319	27.0	11.7	99.1
2021	321	27.4	11.6	99.1
2022	349	28.8	12.0	99.1
2023	350	30.2	11.5	99.1
2024	356	29.3	12.1	99.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for James Love Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,637 (13.4%)	$10,553 (86.6%)	$12,190

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James Love Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1223^rd of 1473 Elementary schools	Ranks 823^rd of 1502 Elementary schools	28.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (James Love Elementary)	47.2	63	15.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)	71.1	61.1	10%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	64.3	61.1	3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (James Love Elementary)	47.2	58.7	11.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)	57.7	50.4	7.3%
3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)	56.8	48	8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (James Love Elementary)	36.9	49.1	12.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)	61.8	53.9	7.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
4th Grade Reading (James Love Elementary)	46.2	62.3	16.1%
4th Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)	55.7	50.8	4.9%
4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	347	350	0.9%
African American	230	199	13.5%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	20	34	70%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	81	88	8.6%
Two or More Races	14	28	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.1%	99.1%	0%

Schools Near James Love Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Love Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 James Love Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8385	356	29	12.1	99.2%	89 (25.0%)	192 (53.9%)	50 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.0%)	31.1	1080^th of 1505 public elementary schools	28.2%		46.5	823^rd of 1502 public elementary schools	45.2%	257	52.6	42.0	46.0	35.1	39.2	50.0	56.0	$12,191	$1,637	$10,553
Township Three Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	526 Davis Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8245	541	42	13.0	99.4%	217 (40.1%)	205 (37.9%)	58 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.3%)	20.6	1276^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.2%		22	1231^st of 1502 public elementary schools	18.0%	45	33.8	39.3	45.9	33.8	41.6	29.7	51.4	$9,675	$1,374	$8,301
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1166 Wyke Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8390	425	27	15.7	99.3%	160 (37.6%)	193 (45.4%)	34 (8.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.0%)	54.2	680^th of 1505 public elementary schools	54.8%		50.6	759^th of 1502 public elementary schools	49.5%	79	77.6	56.7	60.7	62.1	47.8	41.0	55.7	$10,297	$1,501	$8,795
Elizabeth Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	220 S Post Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8371	581	38	15.1	99.5%	135 (23.2%)	281 (48.4%)	96 (16.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (11.0%)	20.3	1279^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.0%		20	1255^th of 1502 public elementary schools	16.4%	24	50.7	45.1	42.0	31.6	26.4	27.5	52.2	$9,413	$1,457	$7,956
Boiling Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1522 Patrick Avenue	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8361	555	38	14.7	99.5%	409 (73.7%)	79 (14.2%)	32 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	76.2	307^th of 1505 public elementary schools	79.6%		80.6	227^th of 1502 public elementary schools	84.9%	80	81.5	73.6	73.7	61.7	62.6	55.2	69.8	$9,229	$1,162	$8,067
Springmore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	616 McBrayer Homestead Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8235	581	40	14.6	99.5%	410 (70.6%)	81 (13.9%)	59 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.2%)	77.4	290^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.7%		75.7	308^th of 1502 public elementary schools	79.5%	18	80.2	70.1	82.8	57.5	55.2	54.0	85.1	$9,568	$1,145	$8,422
Bethware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	115 Bethware Drive	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8346	530	36	14.7	99.4%	345 (65.1%)	99 (18.7%)	47 (8.9%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.5%)	73	356^th of 1505 public elementary schools	76.3%		56.5	649^th of 1502 public elementary schools	56.8%	293	91.8	59.8		66.0	48.3			$9,644	$1,089	$8,555
Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Union Church Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8250	424	30	14.1	99.3%	258 (60.8%)	105 (24.8%)	26 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	52.7	704^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.2%		41.3	907^th of 1502 public elementary schools	39.6%	203	74.4	53.8	58.9	37.2	46.2	48.2	76.4	$10,135	$1,538	$8,597
Grover Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	206 Carolina Avenue	Grover	28073	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8351	323	22	14.4	97.5%	231 (71.5%)	45 (13.9%)	17 (5.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.7%)	76.9	297^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.3%		67.9	445^th of 1502 public elementary schools	70.4%	148	75.4	64.3		57.9	67.9			$10,632	$1,366	$9,266
Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1907 Stony Point Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8260	386	28	13.5	99.2%	222 (57.5%)	76 (19.7%)	54 (14.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.0%)	14.2	1374^th of 1505 public elementary schools	8.7%		18.6	1277^th of 1502 public elementary schools	15.0%	97	41.5	29.8	24.5	33.8	35.1	22.6	52.8	$9,971	$1,530	$8,441

James Love Elementary

James Love Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Cleveland County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for James Love Elementary

Rank History for all students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for Female students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for Male students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for African American students at James Love Elementary

Rank History for White students at James Love Elementary

Enrollment information for James Love Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James Love Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio James Love Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for James Love Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on James Love Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near James Love Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about James Love Elementary

Rate James Love Elementary!

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