Cato Middle College High, 8120 Grier Road: CMS, grades 11-13, 170 students in 2024-25 and an A (95) in the 2025-26 state grades.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, its principal page, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 2026-27 bell schedule, 2026-27 calendar (PDF), Student Placement and School Choice pages, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data and 2024-25 report card data, and the federal NCES school directory.

Cato Middle College High School is a high school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the countywide district, at 8120 Grier Road. It serves grades 11 and 12, with an optional grade 13. It has no attendance zone: it is a CMS choice school under the Middle College theme, and students apply through the district’s School Choice lottery. It is on Central Piedmont Community College’s Cato campus, the CMS bell schedule notes.

Who to call
Address 8120 Grier Road, Charlotte, NC 28215
Phone 980-343-1452
Grades 11 to 13
District Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CMS magnet theme Middle College
State school code 600334

Principal

Principal Michael Lee, according to the school’s principal page.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 170 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 194 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 48 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina grades every public school 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. For a high school, achievement also counts end-of-course tests, the ACT or WorkKeys, NC Math 3 and the four-year graduation rate.

School year Grade and score Growth
2025-26 A (95) Not rated
2024-25 A (94) Not rated

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: 67.5% (CMS: 60.9%; state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 32.5%
  • Four-year graduation rate: above 95% (the state masks figures above 95%)

The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site. On Oct. 11 it still showed the 2024-25 edition.

How students get in

Middle colleges have no attendance zone: CMS lists them as a School Choice option open to students in all three transportation zones, on its Middle College page, and students apply through the School Choice lottery.

For 2027-28, the School Choice lottery application period runs Nov. 2 to Dec. 11, and results come out Jan. 5, 2027, according to the district’s key dates. Future registration opens Oct. 19.

Calendar and bell times

  • School day: 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in 2026-27, according to the CMS bell schedule.
  • Calendar: Cato Middle College High follows its own calendar, not the CMS traditional calendar; the district links it from its calendar page.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Cato Middle College High serve?

Grades 11 and 12, with an optional grade 13, according to the state’s school data. It is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high school.

What is Cato Middle College High’s school grade?

Cato Middle College High earned an A, with a score of 95, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 School Performance Grades, after an A (94) in 2024-25. In 2025-26, 67.5% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

What time does Cato Middle College High start?

The school day runs 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in 2026-27, according to the CMS bell schedule.

How do you get into Cato Middle College High?

Through the CMS School Choice lottery. For 2027-28, applications are open Nov. 2 to Dec. 11, 2026, and results come out Jan. 5, 2027.

Who is the principal of Cato Middle College High?

Principal Michael Lee, according to the school’s website.