Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27576

Located in Selma, North Carolina, ZIP code 27576 is served by three public schools in Johnston County Public Schools: two elementary schools serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade (Thanksgiving Elementary and Selma Elementary) and one middle school serving grades six through eight (Selma Middle School). All three schools serve extremely high-poverty populations, with more than 99% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. No high schools are located within this ZIP code, and the district itself ranks in the 60th percentile of North Carolina districts with a 3-star rating.

Thanksgiving Elementary is the clear standout. It has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranks in the 75th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools, placing it in the top quarter statewide. In contrast, Selma Elementary ranks in the 23rd percentile and Selma Middle School ranks in the 17th percentile of middle schools, with both earning 1-star ratings. Thanksgiving consistently outperforms district and state averages in reading, math, and science, and its chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.0%, far below the district rate of 21.8% and state rate of 24.2%. By comparison, Selma Elementary has 19.7% chronic absenteeism, while Selma Middle School has a striking 35.2%.

The data show that poverty alone does not determine outcomes, since all three schools share nearly identical economic profiles yet produce very different results. Surprisingly, more staff per student does not guarantee better achievement: Selma Middle School has the lowest student-teacher ratio in the group (9.9), yet posts the weakest academic scores, while Thanksgiving Elementary has the highest ratio (17.4) and the strongest performance. Chronic absenteeism tracks achievement closely, making attendance a clear target for improvement at both Selma schools. There were some pockets of year-to-year progress in 2025–26, but both Selma schools remain far below state averages in most subjects. Because there is no high school in 27576, Selma Middle School represents a critical transition point, and its low proficiency rates suggest many students enter high school needing significant academic support.