Summary:
Zip code 27344, in the Siler City area of North Carolina, is served by three schools within Chatham County Schools, a top-quartile district recently rated 4 stars: Siler City Elementary and Virginia Cross Elementary serve grades PK–5, while Silk Hope School serves grades PK–8. Enrollments range from about 280 students at Silk Hope School to nearly 600 at Siler City Elementary, and all three schools serve very high-poverty populations, with roughly 99% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch.
Silk Hope School is the clear standout, ranking in the 79th percentile statewide (315 of 1492). Its combined math/reading proficiency average (73.3%) is far ahead of Virginia Cross Elementary (54.4%) and Siler City Elementary (48.0%), and it outperforms district and state averages in most elementary subjects. Virginia Cross Elementary is the most improved school: its overall rank jumped from the 19th to the 44th percentile in one year, with 5th grade science proficiency surging 25 points and 5th grade math soaring to 76.3% — above both district and state averages. Siler City Elementary is the lowest-ranked of the three (29th percentile), though it has climbed steadily from the 15th percentile over two years.
Parents should know that reading is the biggest shared challenge: aside from Silk Hope School, elementary reading proficiency sits below 50% at both Virginia Cross Elementary and Siler City Elementary, well behind state averages. Chronic absenteeism is actually a relative strength across the zip code — all three schools stay below the state's 24.2% average, and Silk Hope School's 17.3% rate pairs with its strong outcomes. Notably, per-pupil spending does not explain the performance gap: Virginia Cross Elementary spends the most ($13,535), while top-performing Silk Hope School spends $12,214 and lowest-ranked Siler City Elementary spends $11,423.
Thank you for your feedback!