Original Research by School Decision on Movement School Eastland
Movement School Eastland is a single-school charter district in east Charlotte serving kindergarten through fourth grade, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the lower grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races; Asian and white enrollment is minimal. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, so the economic profile of the school's families cannot be assessed from the public record.
The school has undergone significant structural change in the past few years. It began as a K-2 program and has now expanded to a full K-5 elementary pathway, meaning families can enroll their child in kindergarten and keep them through fifth grade without transferring. That stability is a real advantage for continuity. However, a major governance and network restructuring approved by the state in late 2023 has altered the school's future trajectory. Movement Schools eliminated its middle school campus in Charlotte, which had been the expected pathway for fifth-graders. Families whose children will graduate from Eastland's fifth-grade class should understand that they will need to transition to an outside partner school for middle grades, which could be another charter or a Charlotte-Mecklenburg public school. The timing and identity of that partner have not been finalized. The network itself has also shifted from a Charlotte-focused model to a multi-state governance structure encompassing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, with plans to open additional campuses in Gastonia and Greensboro.
On the academic side, the school's first cohorts of third-graders, the earliest grade tested under state standards, showed proficiency rates above those of demographically similar peers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. That early track record is relevant to families considering the school, though it represents only a narrow window of data from grades that have recently begun state testing. State assessment results for the full scope of tested grades and subjects were not available in the data reviewed, so a fuller picture of academic performance across the school cannot be drawn.
The school's per-pupil spending is in the upper range compared to other districts in Mecklenburg County, and its chronic absenteeism rate sits below the county's midpoint, suggesting reasonably strong attendance engagement. Enrollment is growing, with a rising number of students across kindergarten through grade four, and the school continues to recruit and expand within its charter authorization.
For a parent weighing Movement School Eastland, the calculus centers on valuing the continuity of a K-5 pathway and the early test results, while acknowledging the uncertainty around sixth-grade placement and the broader organizational change underway in the network. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the timeline and criteria for middle-grade partnerships and what transition support will look like for their child.
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