South Elementary, Mooresville: zone, grade and calendar

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the school’s website and staff page, the Mooresville Graded School District’s zoning, enrollment, kindergarten registration and transportation pages, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data, and the federal NCES school directory.

South Elementary is one of three schools for the youngest grades in the Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD), the city school system that serves most of Mooresville. It is on South Magnolia Street, south of downtown. Since August 2023, MGSD students start at Park View, South or Rocky River elementary and move to an intermediate school for third grade, the district’s zoning page says.

Who to call

• Front office: 704-658-2650, 839 S. Magnolia St.
• School website: ses.mgsd.k12.nc.us
• Enrolling and zoning questions: MGSD Central Office, 704-658-2530; kindergarten registration
• Which school is my address zoned for? MGSD’s Find My School tool
• Buses: request through the school’s data manager; MGSD Transportation 704-658-2634

Principal

Principal Cheryl Dortch, according to the school’s staff page, which names Jill Zsuppán as assistant principal. The school’s website says Dortch was MGSD’s 2025 Principal of the Year.

Enrollment and teachers

• State count: an average daily membership of 396 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card data.
• Federal count: 456 students in the 2023-24 school year, including pre-K, with 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 13 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina grades every public school A to F, based 80% on achievement and 20% on growth, the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report says. State tests start in third grade, so South has no test results of its own. The state’s report card data flags its grade as a K-2 feeder grade; in both years shown, the score matches Mooresville Intermediate’s.

The full report card is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone

MGSD students attend the school zoned for their home address. The district’s zoning page shows the elementary boundary lines on its maps, with South in pink, Park View in red and Rocky River in yellow. Check an address with the Find My School tool. Families must live inside the district; MGSD does not take tuition students, its enrollment page says. Children must be 5 on or before Aug. 31 to start kindergarten.

Calendar and bell times

• School day: arrival from 8:15 a.m., tardy bell 8:40 a.m., dismissal 3:40 p.m., according to the school’s website.
• Fall break: Oct. 12-16; school resumes Monday, Oct. 19, the district said Oct. 9.
• Tuesday, Nov. 24: early release at 12:40 p.m. for elementary schools; Thanksgiving break Nov. 25-27.
• Winter break: Dec. 21 to Jan. 1.

Full dates are on the district’s 2026-27 calendar and events calendar. MGSD runs a before and after school program.

More

• The school’s own website and MGSD’s school contacts list
• Every public school in Mooresville, with zones and report cards
• Our Mooresville schools guide for the school board and district calendar

Frequently asked questions

What grades does South Elementary serve?

Pre-K to second grade, according to the state and federal school directories. Mooresville Graded School District students move to an intermediate school for third grade.

What is South Elementary’s school grade?

South Elementary earned a B, with a score of 72, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. The state does not test K-2 students; its file flags the grade as a K-2 feeder grade.

What time does South Elementary start?

Students arrive from 8:15 a.m., the tardy bell is at 8:40 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:40 p.m., according to the school’s website.