Schools in Zip Code 27820

Zip code 27820 contains exactly one school, Conway Middle, a grade 4-8 middle school in the Northampton County Schools district that serves 259 students from Conway, NC. Because there are no elementary or high schools within this zip code, Conway Middle acts as the central education provider for the community during those pivotal grade levels.

For parents researching this area, Conway Middle is best understood as a school with deep challenges but also pockets of real strength. Nearly every student (98.84%) qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism affects 45.2% of students — roughly double the state rate of 24.2%. Academically, the school's overall proficiency average of 42.6% lands well below the state average of 59.1%, though it does edge out its own district's average of 40.3%. In fact, Conway Middle outperforms its district in 7 of 12 grade and subject categories, including stronger results in 5th grade math (51.0% vs. 39.1% district) and 5th grade science (50.0% vs. 40.0% district). The school also shows meaningful year-over-year gains, such as 4th grade math jumping from 26.9% to 51.9% and 5th grade science climbing from 26.3% to 50.0%.

The most concerning patterns appear in the upper grades, particularly 7th grade math (30.8% proficient, 25.4 points below the state) and 6th grade reading (29.7% proficient, 25.1 points below the state). Reading and math proficiency dip noticeably as students move into grades 6 through 8, suggesting the transition into more rigorous coursework is a critical trouble point. Meanwhile, the school's state ranking has slid from the 25th to the 15th percentile over three years, even as proficiency rates improved — a sign that other North Carolina schools may be improving faster. The district itself is rated 217th out of 246 districts in the state, so while Conway Middle stands as a relative bright spot within Northampton County Schools, it still has substantial ground to cover. For parents, the biggest opportunities for improvement appear tied to addressing chronic absenteeism, stabilizing grade-to-grade performance, and providing targeted reading and math interventions before middle-school gaps widen.