Union Elementary

Summary:

Union Elementary is a public elementary school in Shelby, North Carolina, serving 423 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Cleveland County Schools district, which is ranked 121 out of 242 districts in the state.

Union Elementary generally outperforms the district and state in terms of proficiency rates on the End-of-Grade (EOG) tests, particularly in Mathematics for grades 3-5 and Science for 5th grade. However, the school's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating have fluctuated between 2 and 3 stars out of 5 in recent years, suggesting a decline in academic performance compared to other schools in North Carolina. Union Elementary's student population is less diverse than nearby schools, with a higher percentage of White students (65.25%) compared to Washington Elementary and Elizabeth Elementary, which have more diverse student bodies.

While Union Elementary outperforms some nearby schools, it lags behind higher-performing schools like Boiling Springs Elementary, Casar Elementary, and Springmore Elementary in terms of test scores and statewide rankings. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 57% in 2021-2022 to 80.14% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1440 Union Church Road
       Shelby, NC  28150-9009


(704) 476-8250

District: Cleveland County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
704th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,135 Help


Students who attend Union Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Burns Middle
High:    Burns High
    Cleveland ECHS

Student/teacher ratio:  14.1 Help
Number of students:  424

Racial breakdown:

White:
60.8%
African American:
24.8%
Two or more races:
7.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.3% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Union Elementary ranks better than 53.2% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 9th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.72. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.8%), African American (24.8%), two or more races (7.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Elementary is 14.1. 7 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Union Elementary employs 29.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Elementary is $10,135, which is the 7th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Elementary 704th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Union Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Cleveland County Schools:

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


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Rank History for Union Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 71.66 314th 1276 75.4%
2007 67.22 403rd 1293 68.8%
2008 55.95 621st 1324 53.1%
2009 70.99 376th 1354 72.2%
2010 68.14 434th 1363 68.2%
2011 66.63 476th 1381 65.5%
2012 72.55 355th 1388 74.4%
2013 52.69 613th 1403 56.3%
2014 59.69 541st 1390 61.1%
2015 49.33 763rd 1440 47.0%
2016 61.29 538th 1425 62.2%
2017 40.40 907th 1429 36.5%
2018 43.07 871st 1434 39.3%
2019 41.14 902nd 1473 38.8%
2021 42.94 825th 1489 44.6%
2022 54.27 671st 1514 55.7%
2023 41.33 907th 1502 39.6%
2024 52.72 704th 1505 53.2%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 50.87 308th 801 61.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.96 396th 1332 70.3%
2019 49.89 682nd 1361 49.9%
2021 50.41 576th 1329 56.7%
2022 60.76 432nd 1366 68.4%
2023 51.13 695th 1437 51.6%
2024 63.19 437th 1450 69.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.30 759th 1405 46.0%
2019 36.65 960th 1424 32.6%
2021 36.28 890th 1440 38.2%
2022 57.21 600th 1458 58.8%
2023 46.77 792nd 1459 45.7%
2024 52.74 669th 1455 54.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 52.56 224th 634 64.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 60.45 237th 494 52.0%
2022 61.63 221st 500 55.8%
2023 23.85 555th 582 4.6%
2024 55.49 381st 669 43.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.25 925th 1413 34.5%
2019 46.27 806th 1430 43.6%
2021 49.20 697th 1444 51.7%
2022 51.24 702nd 1464 52.0%
2023 36.69 974th 1461 33.3%
2024 51.89 709th 1464 51.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.01 431st 927 53.5%
2019 53.06 398th 949 58.1%
2021 58.12 262nd 896 70.8%
2022 39.26 555th 927 40.1%
2023 21.70 810th 933 13.2%
2024 64.71 241st 924 73.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Union Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.44 947th 1178 19.6%
2019 26.83 974th 1183 17.7%
2021 23.89 964th 1172 17.7%
2022 42.30 718th 1194 39.9%
2023 30.50 905th 1183 23.5%
2024 34.53 834th 1166 28.5%
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.

Union Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Union Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1992 359 207 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 566
1993 368 196 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 564
1994 428 192 0 5 1 n/a n/a 4 630
1995 530 229 0 10 0 n/a n/a 0 769
1996 530 229 0 10 0 n/a n/a 0 769
1997 546 240 0 4 1 n/a n/a 0 791
1998 543 240 0 5 1 n/a n/a -8 781
1999 548 272 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 825
2000 522 263 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 791
2001 415 207 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 629
2002 358 211 0 20 0 n/a n/a 0 589
2003 358 211 0 20 0 n/a n/a 0 589
2004 367 190 0 26 0 n/a n/a 0 583
2005 331 182 0 28 0 n/a n/a 0 541
2006 347 154 0 25 0 n/a n/a 0 526
2007 389 148 1 28 0 n/a n/a 13 579
2008 321 122 0 30 1 n/a n/a 13 487
2009 322 126 1 25 1 n/a n/a 0 475
2010 314 144 6 30 1 n/a n/a 0 495
2011 302 120 6 28 0 1 5 0 462
2012 326 114 6 31 0 0 4 0 481
2013 309 103 2 21 0 0 3 0 438
2014 260 92 2 19 2 0 3 0 378
2015 281 109 1 17 2 0 10 0 420
2016 280 101 2 24 1 0 16 0 424
2017 272 96 0 28 1 0 19 0 416
2018 245 90 3 27 3 0 16 0 384
2019 270 93 0 22 3 0 38 0 426
2020 269 92 1 24 2 0 39 0 427
2021 262 78 0 21 1 0 37 0 399
2022 256 82 0 22 0 0 33 0 393
2023 276 89 0 26 2 0 30 0 423
2024 258 105 1 26 1 0 33 0 424

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 Union Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 566 34.0 16.6 35.3
1993 564 30.0 18.8 35.1
1994 630 32.0 19.7 31
1995 769 46.0 16.7 30.3
1996 769 46.0 16.7 30.3
1997 791 50.0 15.8 39.1
1998 781 49.0 15.9 42.1
1999 825 49.0 16.8 43.2
2000 791 49.0 16.1 48
2001 629 49.0 12.8 60.9
2002 589 51.0 11.5 0
2003 589 51.0 11.5 0
2004 583 51.0 11.4 52.8
2005 541 51.0 10.6 64.1
2006 526 51.0 10.3 63.1
2007 579 n/a n/a 61.1
2008 487 36.9 13.2 68.6
2009 475 34.4 13.8 69.5
2010 495 32.8 15.0 32.7
2011 462 33.2 13.9 58.7
2012 481 31.8 15.1 68.6
2013 438 31.2 14.0 71.2
2014 378 29.5 12.8 78.3
2015 420 29.0 14.4 69.8
2016 424 28.0 15.1 71.7
2017 416 29.3 14.1 99.3
2018 384 30.5 12.5 99.2
2019 426 28.2 15.1 99.3
2020 427 28.6 14.9 99.3
2021 399 29.1 13.7 66.7
2022 393 26.1 15.0 57
2023 423 31.2 13.5 80.1
2024 424 29.9 14.1 99.3

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 Union Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 566 34.0 16.6 35.3
1993 564 30.0 18.8 35.1
1994 630 32.0 19.7 31
1995 769 46.0 16.7 30.3
1996 769 46.0 16.7 30.3
1997 791 50.0 15.8 39.1
1998 781 49.0 15.9 42.1
1999 825 49.0 16.8 43.2
2000 791 49.0 16.1 48
2001 629 49.0 12.8 60.9
2002 589 51.0 11.5 0
2003 589 51.0 11.5 0
2004 583 51.0 11.4 52.8
2005 541 51.0 10.6 64.1
2006 526 51.0 10.3 63.1
2007 579 n/a n/a 61.1
2008 487 36.9 13.2 68.6
2009 475 34.4 13.8 69.5
2010 495 32.8 15.0 32.7
2011 462 33.2 13.9 58.7
2012 481 31.8 15.1 68.6
2013 438 31.2 14.0 71.2
2014 378 29.5 12.8 78.3
2015 420 29.0 14.4 69.8
2016 424 28.0 15.1 71.7
2017 416 29.3 14.1 99.3
2018 384 30.5 12.5 99.2
2019 426 28.2 15.1 99.3
2020 427 28.6 14.9 99.3
2021 399 29.1 13.7 66.7
2022 393 26.1 15.0 57
2023 423 31.2 13.5 80.1
2024 424 29.9 14.1 99.3

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 Union Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,538 (15.2%) $8,597 (84.8%) $10,135

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Union 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 902nd of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 907th of 1502 Elementary schools
 0.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Union Elementary)70.863.5
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)71.161.1
 10%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Union Elementary)54.245.3
 8.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)57.750.4
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Union Elementary)52.643.4
 9.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)61.853.9
 7.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Union Elementary)53.843.4
 10.4%
   4th Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)55.750.8
 4.9%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Union Elementary)40.948.2
 7.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)64.557.1
 7.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Union Elementary)42.438.8
 3.6%
   5th Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)50.841.8
 9%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Union Elementary)68.264.3
 3.9%
   5th Grade Science (Cleveland County Schools)74.566.6
 7.9%
   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 Students426423
 0.7%
African American9389
 4.3%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian00
Hispanic2226
 18.2%
Pacific Islander00
White270276
 2.2%
Two or More Races3830
 21.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.3%80.1%
 19.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Union Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 424 students attended Union Elementary.

Students at Union Elementary are 61% White, 25% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

Students who attend Union Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Burns Middle
High : Burns High
High : Cleveland ECHS

Union Elementary ranks 704th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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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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