David W. Butler High School
David W. Butler High School, better known as Butler, is a public high school within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System that services the central southeastern area of Mecklenburg County. Located at 1810 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Matthews, NC 28105, the school is the primary high school for the town of Matthews, a popular submarket of Charlotte. Established in 1997, it is home to 1,964 students and 103 faculty. The school’s mascot is the Bulldogs.
Location
Butler High is located within the town of Matthews, NC which is one of the more developed submarkets of Charlotte. Matthews is on the edge of Mecklenburg County with Union County to the east. The town is quintessential Charlotte suburbia, and has many large neighborhoods. As of 2023, the median Household Income for Matthews Zip of 28104 was $115,052. The median sales price for homes in the Matthews area was $626,333 in September 2023, one of the highest in all of Charlotte. The neighborhood has several luxurious country clubs and even a large sportsplex for recreational sports. Matthews is also a very popular destination for shoppers. Costso, Lowes, Best Buy and other large retail chains have stores in the area. Matthews is accessed via I-485, Matthews-Mint Hill Road, and East Independence Blvd which provide quick transportation to Pineville, Mint Hill, and Uptown Charlotte respectively. There are plans to provide public transportation in the form of the LYNX Silver Line, but that project has incurred scheduling delays.
Academics
Butler High School services grades 9-12 and is considered a descent school for the Charlotte area. According to GreatSchools, 89% of all students graduated within 4 years compared to the NC State average of 86%. 89% of graduates also went on to attend public university for at least 2 years. This puts Butler above the state average for college readiness, a vital factor when considering your children’s education. The school also offers 22 AP courses, 1 STEM program, and an art and world language course. Test scores for Butler are on par with the average for the state of North Carolina with English and Math ranking at and above state means respectively. Butler was behind in scores relating to Biology where they were 1% behind the state average. As of 2023, there are 103 teachers at Butler High, resulting in the school having a Student / Teacher Ratio of 19-1.
Test Scores
Average SAT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Butler students lagged behind their CMS and State counterparts when preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in 2023. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI), students were outscored by fellow CMS and State examinees in both the Reading and Math portions of the exam. They did however outscore the National average in these areas. This information points to the school being slightly below average when preparing students for higher education in North Carolina. The SAT participation rate for the school was 21.50% which was below the remainder of their CMS peers.
Average ACT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Butler students were better prepared for the Aptitude and Critical Thinking test (ACT). Average 2023 scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science were at or above those of their CMS and State counterparts. However, they were outscored by the average National student in all areas of the exam.
Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate: 2018-2023
The Graduation Rate at Butler High School has fluctuated consistently over the last six years. The school was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which had a largely negative impact on the class of 2021. This outlier aside, there is an interesting trend happening at Butler. From 2018 to 2023 the graduation rate has decreased by approximately 2.8%, falling steadily from 91.60% to 88.8% in that time frame.
Food Assistance Programs
Butler, as well as all CMS schools, provides meals for underprivileged students via the CMS School Nutrition Services system. This service provides both breakfast and lunch options to students across Mecklenburg County. According to Mecklenburg County Public Health, approximately 15% of households are food insecure, so this program is a welcome addition to Butler’s cafeteria.
How to Enroll
If you are interested in enrolling at David W. Butler High School, there are a few things you need:
Use the CMS Geoportal to confirm your place of residence is within the appropriate school district here.
Compile documents necessary for enrollment. These requirements can be found here.
Download and complete the enrollment packet. Can be found on the far right side of the page here.
Submit your application to the school. This is required to be done in person and typically by appointment.
