Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27559

Zip code 27559 contains a single school, Moncure School, a small K-8 school in Moncure, NC, serving 176 students and belonging to Chatham County Schools, a district ranked 62nd out of 246 in North Carolina with a 4-star rating. Although classified as an elementary school, it serves grades K through 8, making it the only public school option in the zip code. The school has a very high poverty rate—98.3% of students receive free or reduced lunch—and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio.

Moncure School has earned a 2-star state rating in each of the past three years, placing it near the middle of North Carolina schools and below its stronger 4-star district. That ranking masks real pockets of strength in the most recent testing year. In 2025-2026, 8th grade science proficiency reached 90.5%—about 19 points above the district and 22 points above the state. Sixth grade math hit 87.5%, 7th grade reading and math each reached 73.3%, and 8th grade reading and math both hit 71.4%, all above state averages. By contrast, 4th grade math proficiency was just 23.8% versus the district's 68.1%, and 5th grade math was 45.0% compared with the district's 74.5%. The clear pattern: Moncure's upper grades and science instruction are relative strengths, while some elementary grades, especially math, need attention.

Parents should keep in mind that Moncure is small—176 students across nine grade levels—so year-to-year swings can be misleading. Third grade reading jumped from 9.5% proficient in 2024-2025 to 60.0% in 2025-2026, and 3rd grade math soared from 23.8% to 73.3%. Over that same period, 4th grade math fell from 52.4% to 23.8%. These are different cohorts of students, not necessarily changes in school quality; with so few students, a handful can move a percentage by 10 points or more. Still, for a school with 98.3% free and reduced lunch eligibility to post strong 8th grade science and middle-grades math results is genuinely encouraging. For families in 27559, Moncure School is the only public option, and understanding both its strong pockets and weak spots is key.