Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27555

Zip code 27555, which covers the Micro, NC area, contains just two public schools — both part of Johnston County Public Schools — serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Micro Elementary serves grades PK-5 with 404 students, while North Johnston Middle serves grades 6-8 with 598 students. There is no high school in the ZIP code, so students must leave Micro for high school elsewhere in the county. Both schools serve almost entirely economically disadvantaged populations, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility above 97% at each school.

North Johnston Middle is the higher-ranked of the two, sitting at the 62nd percentile statewide with a 3-star rating, compared with Micro Elementary's 51st percentile. The middle school stands out most in 8th grade, where science proficiency reached 82.9% in 2025-2026 — a 21.4-point jump from the prior year and well above the district (70.8%) and state (68.6%) averages. Its 8th grade math and reading results also topped state averages, and it beat district and state levels in 7th grade as well. The one weak spot is 6th grade reading, where it trailed both the district and state.

Micro Elementary posts 4th grade math and reading scores that beat district and state averages, and its 5th grade science result of 72.3% is well above the state. However, 5th grade reading proficiency fell to just 36.9% — roughly 19 points behind the district and state, and a 19-point drop from the prior year. That drop is the most urgent concern in the data. On a brighter note, Micro has better attendance than the middle school: chronic absenteeism is 17.7% versus North Johnston Middle's 23.8%, and both are near or better than the state average of 24.2%. Micro also spends more per student ($11,862) than North Johnston Middle ($8,490) and has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio, though the higher spending and better attendance haven't lifted its overall ranking.