Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27055

Zip code 27055, located in Yadkin County, North Carolina, is home to four schools in the Yadkin County Schools district — Yadkinville Elementary (PK-5), Courtney Elementary (PK-5), Yadkin Early College (9-12), and Yadkin Success Academy (6-12) — serving a combined 971 students. While the district itself ranks in the middle of North Carolina (143rd out of 246 districts, with 2 stars), individual schools in this zip code span from the 1st to the 91st percentile, reflecting enormous variation within one small community.

Yadkin Early College is the clearest academic standout. It has ranked between the 81st and 91st percentile over the past three years, earning 4-5 stars, and its End-of-Course proficiency rates far exceed district and state averages — most notably Math III at 97.5%. At the other end, Yadkin Success Academy has struggled persistently, ranking in the bottom tenth of North Carolina high schools with a 40.9% graduation rate and 56.6% chronic absenteeism. The two elementary schools fall in between: Yadkinville Elementary hovers around the low 30th percentile, while Courtney Elementary has slid from the 58th to the 36th percentile over three years. Both elementary schools face extreme poverty, with more than 96% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, compared with 48.5% at Yadkin Early College and 86.1% at Yadkin Success Academy.

Several contrasts stand out. Despite near-universal poverty, Courtney Elementary and Yadkinville Elementary post chronic absenteeism rates of 11.4% and 16.3% — both below the district rate of 22.3%. Spending is sharply inverse to outcomes: Yadkin Success Academy spends $31,264 per student yet has the lowest test scores, while Yadkin Early College spends just $6,070 per student and produces the strongest results. The clearest concern is Yadkinville Elementary's persistent upper-elementary reading weakness — 5th-grade reading proficiency sits at roughly 35%, more than 20 points below the state average. Courtney Elementary's slow ranking decline is also worth watching. Overall, Yadkin Early College demonstrates what is possible within the district, while the elementary schools show that strong attendance can coexist with high poverty, and Yadkin Success Academy illustrates the deep challenges of serving its highest-need students.