Northwest School of the Arts, 1415 Beatties Ford Road: CMS, grades 6-12, 980 students in 2024-25 and an A (93) 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.
Northwest School of the Arts is a high school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the countywide district, at 1415 Beatties Ford Road. It serves grades 6 to 12. 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
- Front office: 980-343-5500, 1415 Beatties Ford Road
- School website: northwesths.cmsk12.org
- Enrolling, transfers and school assignment: CMS Student Placement, 980-343-5335; Student Placement page
- Magnet and choice applications: CMS School Choice, 980-343-6246; School Choice page
- Buses: CMS Transportation call center, 980-343-6715, weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
| Address | 1415 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216 |
| Phone | 980-343-5500 |
| Grades | 6 to 12 |
| District | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools |
| CMS magnet theme | Visual and Performing Arts |
| State school code | 600482 |
Principal
Principal Katy Coffelt, according to the school’s principal page.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 980 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 1,008 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 60 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 17 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 (93) | Exceeded |
| 2024-25 | B (81) | Exceeded |
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: 89.5% (CMS: 60.9%; state: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 67.7%
- Growth: exceeded expected growth
- 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
Northwest School of the Arts 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: 7:15 a.m. to 2:15 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).
More
- The school’s own website and the CMS school directory
- Every public school in Charlotte, with zones and report cards
- Our Charlotte schools guide for the school board, enrollment and the district calendar
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Northwest School of the Arts serve?
Grades 6 to 12, according to the state’s school data. It is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high school.
What is Northwest School of the Arts’s school grade?
Northwest School of the Arts earned an A, with a score of 93, in North Carolina’s 2025-26 School Performance Grades, after a B (81) in 2024-25. In 2025-26, 89.5% of its state tests were at grade level or above.
What time does Northwest School of the Arts start?
The school day runs 7:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. in 2026-27, according to the CMS bell schedule.
How do you get into Northwest School of the Arts?
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 Northwest School of the Arts?
Principal Katy Coffelt, according to the school’s website.
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