Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27282

Zip code 27282, serving Jamestown, NC, includes 9 schools spanning elementary, middle, high school, and alternative education grades, and while the Guilford County Schools district itself has a modest 2-star rating, many schools here stand out given that every school reports a free/reduced-price lunch rate above 95%. All of these schools belong to Guilford County Schools except College Prep and Leadership Academy, which operates under its own charter district. Total enrollment across the zip code is roughly 4,647 students, with Lucy Ragsdale High as the largest school at about 1,292 students and C Joyner Greene Education Center as the smallest.

The strongest academic performers are Millis Road Elementary and the two early college high schools, GTCC Middle College High and Middle College at GTCC-Greensboro, which rank in the top quintile of North Carolina high schools despite serving nearly all low-income students. Millis Road posts the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 10.5% and beats state averages in several math and reading categories, while both GTCC-affiliated schools show extremely high proficiency on end-of-course tests, including a 97.2% Math III proficiency at Middle College at GTCC-Greensboro. Lucy Ragsdale High is the most improved school, jumping from the 16th to 41st percentile in statewide rankings over three years.

The biggest challenges are chronic absenteeism and reading proficiency. Although Millis Road is low, other schools like Haynes Inman Education Center report 62.5% chronic absenteeism, and reading scores at Jamestown Elementary, Jamestown Middle, and Lucy Ragsdale High trail state averages. Spending varies dramatically, with alternative centers like Haynes Inman and C Joyner Greene spending over $34,000 per student compared to roughly $8,200–$10,400 for traditional schools, but these centers often lack reported academic outcomes. Overall, the data suggest that high poverty does not prevent success, and reducing absenteeism and strengthening early literacy are the most promising paths forward for this area.