Julius L. Chambers High School
Julius L. Chambers High School (JLC), formerly known as Vance High School, is a public high school within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System that services the northeastern area of Mecklenburg County. Located at 7600 IBM Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262, the school is fed by the surrounding University City and Hidden Valley neighborhoods. Established in 1997, it is home to 2,059 students and 108 faculty. The school’s mascot is the Cougars.
Location
Julius L. Chambers directly services University City as well as the Hidden Valley neighborhood. These submarkets are in the northeastern region of Mecklenburg County and border school district lines with Mallard Creek, North Meck, West Charlotte, Garinger, and Rocky River. The University Area has seen much development in recent years and has become a hot spot for growth with the expansion of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). The median household income for the area’s ZIP of 28262 was $62,351. The University area is home to one of the largest hospital complexes in the city of Charlotte, and several Fortune 500 companies have a retail presence here. Shopping centers such as Belgate and The Shoppes at University Place provide residents with high-end shopping opportunities. This area is accessed via I-485, I-85, University City Blvd., N Tryon St., and East W.T. Harris Blvd. The area is also connected to Uptown with the LYNX Blue Line Light Rail.
Academics
JLC services grades 9-12 and is generally considered a below-average school for academics in the Charlotte area. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI), 86.4% of all 2023 graduates finished school within 4 years. This is just behind the NC State average of 86%. Greatschools found that 86% of graduates also went on to attend public university for at least 2 years. This puts JLC in a decent spot in terms of college readiness, as most of those who did graduate continued to excel in higher education programs. The school also offers 12 AP courses, 0 STEM programs, 1 art course, and 1 world language course. Test scores for Math and Biology were all behind state averages, the largest of which was a tie between Math 1 and Biology 1 at -10%. English was the only subject in which students outperformed the state mean and came in at 1% above the average. As of 2023, there are 116 teachers at JLC, resulting in a Student / Teacher Ratio of 18-1.
Test Scores
JLC High School did not submit SAT results to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) in 2023. This is likely because the school had less than the required 10 students submit scores for the proctored exam.
Average ACT Test Scores: 2022-2023
JLC prepared its students poorly for the Aptitude and Critical Thinking test (ACT). Average 2023 scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science were all below those of their CMS, State, and National counterparts. The largest disadvantage was in English, where JLC students were outscored by their CMS counterparts by 56.3% on average.
4-Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate: 2018-2023
The 4-Year Graduation Rate at Julius L. Chambers High School has been on a downward trajectory since 2018. Since that year, graduation rates have decreased a full 8.5%, the largest drop coming in 2019 (-3.5%). The school did see an increase from the 2020-2021 school years as students struggled through the COVID-19 Pandemic, however, this trend seems to have been an outlier. The overall negative trajectory for 4-year graduation rates does not bode well for the school.
Food Assistance Programs
Julius L. Chambers High School and all CMS schools provide 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 JLC’s cafeteria.
How to Enroll
If you are interested in enrolling at Julius L. Chambers 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.
