Irwin Academic Center, 329 N. Irwin Ave.: CMS, grades K-5, 367 students in 2024-25 and a B (83) 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.

Irwin Academic Center is an elementary school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the countywide district, at 329 N. Irwin Ave. It serves kindergarten to fifth grade. It has no attendance zone: it is a CMS choice school under the Learning Immersion/Talent Development theme, and students apply through the district’s School Choice lottery.

Who to call
Address 329 N. Irwin Ave., Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone 980-343-5480
Grades K to 5
District Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CMS magnet theme Learning Immersion/Talent Development
State school code 600571

Principal

Principal Tasha Gatling, according to the school’s principal page.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 367 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 381 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 16 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 (83) Met
2024-25 B (78) 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: 84.2% (CMS: 60.9%; state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 66.1%
  • 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

Irwin Academic Center 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 Irwin Academic Center serve?

Kindergarten to fifth grade, according to the state’s school data. It is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools elementary school.

What is Irwin Academic Center’s school grade?

Irwin Academic Center earned a B, with a score of 83, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 School Performance Grades, after a B (78) in 2024-25. In 2025-26, 84.2% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

What time does Irwin Academic Center 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 Irwin Academic Center?

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 Irwin Academic Center?

Principal Tasha Gatling, according to the school’s website.