Foothills Review

Kings Mountain High School had the highest enrollment among Cleveland County schools, welcoming 1,199 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Among the 25 schools in Cleveland County, Crest High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,084 students, while Pinnacle Classical Academy welcomed 1,081 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Kings Mountain High School is part of Cleveland County Schools district, which roughly covers institutions within Cleveland County and has a main office in Shelby.

In the previous school year, Kings Mountain High School also had the highest number of students among Cleveland County schools.

North Carolina's public schools are facing a significant funding gap, with a per-student expenditure of $10,519 — well below the national average of $14,295.

This financial strain is further compounded by a significant challenge in staffing with a staggering 58.4% surge in vacant teaching positions in the 2021-22 school year, leaving over 5,000 classrooms without qualified instructors.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Kings Mountain High School	Kings Mountain	1,199
Crest High School	Shelby	1,084
Pinnacle Classical Academy	Shelby	1,081
Crest Middle School	Shelby	849
Shelby High School	Shelby	794
Kings Mountain Middle School	Kings Mountain	713
Kings Mountain Intermediate School	Kings Mountain	620
Shelby Middle School	Shelby	619
Springmore Elementary School	Shelby	542
Boiling Springs Elementary School	Shelby	520
Township Three Elementary School	Shelby	509
Shelby Intermediate School	Shelby	488
Bethware Elementary School	Kings Mountain	478
Fallston Elementary School	Fallston	431
Jefferson Elementary School	Shelby	420
Union Elementary School	Shelby	401
Washington Elementary School	Shelby	378
James Love Elementary School	Shelby	337
Grover Elementary School	Grover	292
West Elementary School	Kings Mountain	277
North Elementary School	Kings Mountain	257
Cleveland ECHS	Shelby	213
Cleveland Innovation	Shelby	168
Turning Point Academy	Shelby	112
North Shelby	Shelby	79