Polo Ridge Elementary

Summary:

Polo Ridge Elementary is a highly-rated public elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving 598 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. This exceptional school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and exceptional academic performance that sets it apart from the surrounding schools.

Polo Ridge Elementary's academic success is evident in its students' consistently high test scores, which significantly outperform the state and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district averages. The school's diverse student population, with a significant Asian student representation, also demonstrates exceptional performance across various subgroups, including female students, male students, English Language Learners, and students from low-income families. Interestingly, while Polo Ridge Elementary is a standout, several nearby schools, such as McKee Road Elementary, Rea Farms STEAM Academy, and Rea View Elementary, also demonstrate exceptional academic performance, suggesting a strong educational ecosystem in the local area.

Polo Ridge Elementary's success can be attributed to a variety of factors, including its relatively low student-teacher ratio and efficient resource allocation, as evidenced by its lower spending per student compared to some nearby schools, such as McAlpine Elementary and Elon Park Elementary. The school's diverse student population and exceptional performance across various subgroups make it a standout institution in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, serving as a model for other schools in the region.


Detail:

Public K-5

 11830 Tom Short Rd
       Charlotte, NC  28277-9103


(980) 343-0749

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
47th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,446 Help


Students who attend Polo Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Jay M. Robinson Middle
High:    Ardrey Kell High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.4 Help
Number of students:  588

Racial breakdown:

White:
48.6%
Asian:
32.0%
Hispanic:
8.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.8% Help


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 Compare Polo Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Polo Ridge Elementary ranks better than 96.9% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 5th among 109 ranked elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.07. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (48.6%), Asian (32%), Hispanic (8.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 16.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polo Ridge Elementary is 15.4. 55 elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Polo Ridge Elementary employs 38 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polo Ridge Elementary is $8,446. 102 elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polo Ridge Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Polo Ridge Elementary 47th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Polo Ridge Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 140th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Polo Ridge Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 91.87 18th 1354 98.7%
2010 91.47 12th 1363 99.1%
2011 90.77 22nd 1381 98.4%
2012 91.56 6th 1388 99.6%
2013 98.26 15th 1403 98.9%
2014 96.82 17th 1390 98.8%
2015 96.76 10th 1440 99.3%
2016 96.00 14th 1425 99.0%
2017 97.02 4th 1429 99.7%
2018 95.91 15th 1434 99.0%
2019 94.25 35th 1473 97.6%
2021 97.42 25th 1489 98.3%
2022 96.91 20th 1514 98.7%
2023 96.64 18th 1502 98.8%
2024 95.07 47th 1505 96.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 96.36 11th 497 97.8%
2023 99.75 1st 514 99.8%
2024 97.78 10th 533 98.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 95.08 16th 801 98.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 64.26 406th 1361 70.2%
2023 93.78 23rd 1437 98.4%
2024 94.27 27th 1450 98.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.39 3rd 1405 99.8%
2019 91.71 54th 1424 96.2%
2021 96.03 30th 1440 97.9%
2022 96.05 18th 1458 98.8%
2023 94.69 27th 1459 98.1%
2024 95.52 30th 1455 97.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.87 209th 897 76.7%
2019 78.30 91st 878 89.6%
2021 66.89 120th 646 81.4%
2022 71.49 99th 634 84.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 65.65 148th 500 70.4%
2023 66.76 159th 582 72.7%
2024 63.74 232nd 669 65.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.05 34th 1413 97.6%
2019 94.69 28th 1430 98.0%
2021 97.37 16th 1444 98.9%
2022 95.66 32nd 1464 97.8%
2023 96.82 12th 1461 99.2%
2024 92.43 68th 1464 95.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.86 7th 99 92.9%
2019 76.23 21st 106 80.2%
2021 81.94 6th 95 93.7%
2022 73.76 30th 107 72.0%
2023 71.52 35th 114 69.3%
2024 72.08 36th 130 72.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.99 78th 927 91.6%
2019 77.87 126th 949 86.7%
2021 94.17 27th 896 97.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.17 16th 851 98.1%
2019 89.12 41st 865 95.3%
2021 99.59 3rd 843 99.6%
2024 96.07 17th 951 98.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Polo Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.31 48th 1178 95.9%
2019 85.43 107th 1183 91.0%
2021 85.66 116th 1172 90.1%
2022 89.77 56th 1194 95.3%
2023 90.15 48th 1183 95.9%
2024 86.26 105th 1166 91.0%
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.

Polo Ridge Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, July 5, 2013

Open Quote I've had the pleasure of interacting with some of the most caring, effective teachers I've ever met. They are excellent educators and always put the students first. Everyone is starting to settle into the new administration, although its a big change. We love Polo Ridge! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Polo Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 552 73 115 33 6 n/a n/a 0 779
2010 623 78 111 32 5 n/a n/a 0 849
2011 637 54 136 35 5 0 27 0 894
2012 644 59 159 35 3 0 18 0 918
2013 654 71 199 50 4 0 22 0 1000
2014 653 62 227 55 4 0 22 0 1023
2015 632 64 262 53 3 3 19 0 1036
2016 602 75 287 65 3 3 18 0 1053
2017 546 72 318 54 5 3 23 0 1021
2018 514 66 326 58 6 4 28 0 1002
2019 489 61 326 62 7 2 29 0 976
2020 528 51 330 62 6 2 36 0 1015
2021 300 40 233 38 3 0 31 0 645
2022 265 38 207 33 1 1 27 0 572
2023 297 34 201 35 1 1 29 0 598
2024 286 27 188 49 1 1 36 0 588

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 Polo Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 779 43.2 18.0 5.5
2010 849 46.4 18.2 7.4
2011 894 49.3 18.1 5.3
2012 918 53.0 17.3 5.7
2013 1000 50.0 19.9 5.7
2014 1023 53.5 19.0 5.1
2015 1036 55.0 18.8 5.8
2016 1053 54.0 19.5 6.6
2017 1021 57.2 17.8 4.8
2018 1002 56.0 17.8 4.9
2019 976 55.7 17.5 5.1
2020 1015 57.8 17.5 4.8
2021 645 44.0 14.6 5.3
2022 572 40.0 14.3 3
2023 598 37.0 16.1 11.5
2024 588 38.0 15.4 16.8

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 Polo Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 779 43.2 18.0 5.5
2010 849 46.4 18.2 7.4
2011 894 49.3 18.1 5.3
2012 918 53.0 17.3 5.7
2013 1000 50.0 19.9 5.7
2014 1023 53.5 19.0 5.1
2015 1036 55.0 18.8 5.8
2016 1053 54.0 19.5 6.6
2017 1021 57.2 17.8 4.8
2018 1002 56.0 17.8 4.9
2019 976 55.7 17.5 5.1
2020 1015 57.8 17.5 4.8
2021 645 44.0 14.6 5.3
2022 572 40.0 14.3 3
2023 598 37.0 16.1 11.5
2024 588 38.0 15.4 16.8

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 Polo Ridge Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $380 (4.5%) $8,066 (95.5%) $8,446

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polo Ridge 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 35th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 18th of 1502 Elementary schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polo Ridge Elementary)90.797.9
 7.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)69.661.3
 8.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Polo Ridge Elementary)84.688.4
 3.8%
   3rd Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)57.346.4
 10.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polo Ridge Elementary)93.786
 7.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)63.255.2
 8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Polo Ridge Elementary)88.982
 6.9%
   4th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)52.551.5
 1%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polo Ridge Elementary)85.491.3
 5.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)65.457.9
 7.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Polo Ridge Elementary)7683.5
 7.5%
   5th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)5045.8
 4.2%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Polo Ridge Elementary)91.291.3
 0.1%
   5th Grade Science (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)72.862.2
 10.6%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students976598
 38.7%
African American6134
 44.3%
American Indian71
 85.7%
Asian326201
 38.3%
Hispanic6235
 43.5%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White489297
 39.3%
Two or More Races2929
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients5.1%11.5%
 6.4%


Schools Near Polo Ridge Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Polo Ridge Elementary

Students who attend Polo Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jay M. Robinson Middle
High : Ardrey Kell High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 588 students attended Polo Ridge Elementary.

Students at Polo Ridge Elementary are 49% White, 32% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Yes! Polo Ridge Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 47th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools.


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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.





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