Summary:
ZIP code 27401 in Greensboro, NC, contains nine schools — four elementary, two middle, and three high schools — serving roughly 4,324 students. Eight belong to Guilford County Schools, ranked 150th of 246 in North Carolina, while The Experiential School of Greensboro operates as its own small district ranked lower. Eight of nine schools report free/reduced lunch rates above 97%, making this one of the most economically challenged areas in the state, yet outcomes vary dramatically by school.
Lincoln Academy is the standout middle school: 75th percentile statewide (4 stars), 100% fifth-grade math proficiency, and 18.5% chronic absenteeism — all while serving a 99.6% free/reduced lunch population. Philip J Weaver Educational Center leads high schools at the 81st percentile with strong EOC scores, a 6.8:1 student-teacher ratio, and just 9.6% absenteeism. Bluford Elementary is the strongest elementary option, jumping to the 48th percentile and beating state averages in third-grade math and fifth-grade science. In contrast, Otis L Hairston Senior Middle, Waldo C Falkener Senior Elementary, and Washington Elementary all rank below the 11th percentile with absenteeism above 38%.
Attendance is the clearest separator: every strong performer keeps chronic absenteeism under 20%, while low-performing schools exceed 30%. GC Middle College High, a 106-student early-college program, posts the lowest rate at 5.5%. James B Dudley High, the largest school at 1,403 students, has 54.5% absenteeism and low test proficiency, though scores improved in every subject year over year and it graduates 92.5% of students — above the state average. Notably, The Experiential School of Greensboro has the ZIP's lowest poverty rate (50.3%) but ranks in the 5th percentile, proving that school-level factors, not poverty alone, drive results. For parents, school choice and specialized programming heavily shape educational outcomes in this ZIP.
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