Summary:
Zip code 27808 in rural eastern North Carolina contains one school, Bath Elementary, a K-8 school enrolling 511 students in Beaufort County Schools. Although categorized as an elementary school, Bath Elementary serves students through 8th grade, meaning families in this zip code will not find a standalone middle or high school within their immediate area.
Bath Elementary is a clear academic standout. Despite 99.41% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school has earned state ratings of four or five stars for three consecutive years, ranking in the top 11% of North Carolina schools in 2025–2026. In the most recent test data, Bath Elementary outperformed both its district and the state in every reported subject and grade level. Average math proficiency across tested grades is roughly 81.7%, compared with about 58.6% for the district and 59.9% for the state. Reading proficiency averages about 68.3%, still well above the district's 52.0% and the state's 56.0%. Science proficiency averages about 80.5%. For parents, this means a school where strong results are the norm, not the exception, even in a high-poverty community.
The school's strongest results appear in the early grades, with 3rd grade math proficiency at 97.2% and 4th grade math at 92.5%. Reading in grades 5 through 8 is the relative weak spot, dipping to between 59.7% and 62.9%, with noticeable declines over the past year in several grades. Meanwhile, 8th grade science is a major bright spot at 85.1% proficiency, far above district and state averages. Chronic absenteeism is 21.1% — lower than the district's 26.9% and the state's 24.2% — but still affecting roughly one in five students. Parents should keep in mind that with only about 55–60 students per grade, year-to-year proficiency swings can be volatile and should be interpreted cautiously.
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