Bradford Preparatory, 2502 Salome Church Road: tuition-free public charter school, grades K-12, 1,546 students in 2024-25.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data and 2024-25 report card data, the federal NCES school directory, Mecklenburg County’s charter schools map layer, and the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment.
Bradford Preparatory School is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten to 12th grade at 2502 Salome Church Road. Charter schools are public schools approved by the state but run by their own boards: it is not part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, has no attendance zone and takes students from anywhere in North Carolina, filling seats by lottery when more students apply than it has room for, as state law requires.
The campus has a Charlotte mailing address but sits just outside the city limits, in unincorporated Mecklenburg County, according to the county’s jurisdiction map.
Who to call
- Main office: 704-549-0080, 2502 Salome Church Road
- School website: www.bradfordprep.org
| Address | 2502 Salome Church Road, Charlotte, NC 28262 |
| Phone | 704-549-0080 |
| Grades | K to 12 |
| Type | Public charter school |
| Admission | Application; lottery when oversubscribed |
| State school code | 60S000 |
Applying
Bradford Preparatory’s website has its application details.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 1,546 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 1,534 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 108 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 14 students per teacher.
State report card
North Carolina grades every public school, charter schools included, A to F. The score is based 80% on student achievement and 20% on academic growth, the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report says.
| School year | Grade and score | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | B (78) | Exceeded |
| 2024-25 | C (67) | Not met |
The 2025-26 grades come from the state’s accountability data, released in September. From the same data:
- At grade level or above, all state tests: 71.9% (state: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 46.9%
- Growth: exceeded expected growth
- Four-year graduation rate: above 95% (the state masks figures above 95%)
The full report card is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site. On Oct. 11 it still showed the 2024-25 edition.
Calendar
Bradford Preparatory sets its own calendar, separate from CMS; check the school’s website for dates and bell times.
Sports
Bradford Preparatory is a 2A school in the NCHSAA’s 2A/3A/4A Conference B for the 2025-29 alignment, with Christ the King (2A), Community School of Davidson (2A), Corvian Community (2A), Langtree Charter (2A), Pine Lake Prep (3A), Lake Norman Charter (4A) and Lincoln Charter (4A), according to the approved realignment.
Friday scores and schedules: our Friday night football page and the Charlotte scoreboard.
More
- The school’s own website
- Every public school in Charlotte, with zones and report cards
- Our Charlotte schools guide for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools enrollment and calendars
Frequently asked questions
Is Bradford Preparatory free?
Yes. Bradford Preparatory is a tuition-free public charter school, open to North Carolina students. It fills seats by lottery when more students apply than it has room for, as state law requires.
What grades does Bradford Preparatory serve?
Kindergarten to 12th grade, according to Mecklenburg County’s charter schools map data.
What is Bradford Preparatory’s school grade?
Bradford Preparatory earned a B, with a score of 78, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 School Performance Grades, after a C (67) in 2024-25.
What conference is Bradford Preparatory in?
Bradford Preparatory is a 2A school in the NCHSAA’s 2A/3A/4A Conference B for the 2025-29 alignment.
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