The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 58% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Union Day School
Union Day School is a K-10 charter in Weddington, a small, affluent residential town south of Charlotte. The school sits in a community of large single-family homes on wooded lots, horse farms, and rolling fields, where families are outbound commuters to professional and managerial jobs in Charlotte. The school itself is relatively young and growing, having begun as a K-3 program and recently expanded to serve grades 9 and 10 as part of a planned K-12 trajectory; the school awarded its first high school diplomas in June 2026.
The school enrolls a broad cross-section of students by race and ethnicity, with substantial representation of white, Hispanic, Black, and Asian families. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data and counts of students with disabilities or English learners were not available, so a parent seeking that information should ask the school directly.
State testing data from grades 3 through 8 show performance that warrants a mixed read. In English language arts, proficiency sits in the mid-range for the state; in science, proficiency is higher and above the state's typical performance band. Mathematics proficiency is lower, falling below the threshold most competitive schools and districts maintain. A parent interested in math outcomes may want to look into this further with the school. The school also notes a significant recent shift in reading instruction: adoption of a Science of Reading framework drove a roughly 10-point jump in reading proficiency, suggesting recent instructional intentionality in literacy.
The school has undergone two substantive changes that shape what kind of educational experience it offers. First, Union Day School received authorization as an International Baccalaureate World School, offering the IB Middle Years Programme for grades 6-10 and the IB Diploma Programme for grades 11-12; it is the only charter school in North Carolina with this credential. That distinction is durable and materially affects the high school curriculum available to students who stay through grade 12. Second, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the school is implementing a schoolwide screen time restriction policy and returning to a pen-and-paper foundation, becoming the first charter school in North Carolina to mandate this shift. For families evaluating pedagogy, this is a deliberate choice to move away from classroom device use and toward paper-based instruction, a stance some families prioritize and others do not.
Weddington itself is a deliberately low-density community with minimal commercial footprint. The town has no traditional downtown or public parks within its limits; residents rely on the Harris Teeter-anchored village center for civic events and on nearby Waxhaw or Matthews for walkable dining and retail. Daily life is car-dependent. Housing values and rents are high relative to North Carolina benchmarks, reflecting the affluent, established nature of the community. Growth is steady but constrained by single-family zoning and land-use policy; recent new neighborhoods include The Falls of Weddington, Atherton, and Twin Lakes, all built or under construction in the last few years with homes priced at premium levels. The broader economic context shows moderate unemployment, stable household income, and a workforce of professionals and managers.
Union Day School offers families a complete K-12 pathway with an emerging international curriculum framework and a deliberate pedagogical stance on screen use. State test results in math suggest a soft spot; proficiency in reading and science is stronger. The school is embedded in an affluent, car-dependent residential community with little internal walkability but access to professional employment centers in Charlotte. For families seeking an alternative to classroom technology and drawn to the IB curriculum pathway, the school represents a distinct choice; those prioritizing strong math outcomes should probe that area before enrolling.
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