Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27215

Schools in zip code 27215 serve approximately 5,151 students across eight public schools in the Alamance-Burlington Schools district, including six elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The district itself ranks in the 27th percentile statewide, but individual schools in this ZIP code vary dramatically in performance, from the 70th percentile to the 3rd percentile.

Marvin B Smith Elementary is the clear academic standout, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 70th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools with average proficiency near 67.6 percent across tested subjects. Notably, this success occurs despite 99.28 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, proving that high poverty does not prevent high achievement. Edwin M Holt Elementary is the second-strongest school, improving steadily to the 65th percentile with a 3-star rating, and it has the lowest poverty rate in the ZIP code at 49.11 percent. Highland Elementary also earns 3 stars, ranking in the 54th percentile. These three schools all keep chronic absenteeism near or below 22 percent.

At the other end of the spectrum, Harvey R Newlin Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, and Grove Park Elementary rank in the bottom 7 percent of elementary schools, with average proficiency between 33 and 39 percent and chronic absenteeism at or above 27 percent. Turrentine Middle is the most improved school here, jumping from the 13th to the 28th percentile in one year, but it remains fragile, with chronic absenteeism at 35.6 percent. Walter M Williams High, the only high school, graduates 83.7 percent of students, below the state average of 88.8 percent, and its proficiency rates trail the state. For parents, the key takeaway is that 27215 offers excellent elementary options, particularly Marvin B Smith Elementary, but the middle and high schools face significant challenges around attendance and achievement.