First Ward Creative Arts Middle, 715 N. Caldwell St.: CMS, grades 6-8, 423 students in 2024-25 and a B (80) in the 2025-26 state grades.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, 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.

First Ward Creative Arts Middle School is a middle school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the countywide district, at 715 N. Caldwell St. It serves grades 6 to 8. It has no attendance zone: it is a CMS choice school under the Visual and Performing Arts theme, and students apply through the district’s School Choice lottery.

Who to call
Address 715 N. Caldwell St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone 980-343-5485
Grades 6 to 8
District Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CMS magnet theme Visual and Performing Arts
State school code 600368

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 423 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 447 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 13 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.

School year Grade and score Growth
2025-26 B (80) Met
2024-25 D (53) 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: 78.6% (CMS: 60.9%; state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 54.4%
  • Growth: met expected growth

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

First Ward Creative Arts Middle has no attendance zone of its own in CMS’s zone maps. Students apply through the CMS School Choice lottery; students have priority for magnet programs in their own transportation zone, the district’s Themes & Schools page says.

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: 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in 2026-27, according to the CMS bell schedule.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 14: early release day.
  • Nov. 2-3: teacher workdays, no school for students; Wednesday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, no school.
  • Thanksgiving: teacher workday Wednesday, Nov. 25, and break Nov. 26-27.
  • Winter break: Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. The last day of school is Wednesday, June 9, 2027.

The dates come from the CMS 2026-27 traditional calendar (PDF).

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does First Ward Creative Arts Middle serve?

Grades 6 to 8, according to the state’s school data. It is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools middle school.

What is First Ward Creative Arts Middle’s school grade?

First Ward Creative Arts Middle earned a B, with a score of 80, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 School Performance Grades, after a D (53) in 2024-25. In 2025-26, 78.6% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

What time does First Ward Creative Arts Middle start?

The school day runs 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in 2026-27, according to the CMS bell schedule.

How do you get into First Ward Creative Arts Middle?

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.