Best High Schools in Zip Code 27839

Zip code 27839, serving the Halifax, North Carolina area, contains two small public high schools—Southeast Halifax Collegiate Prep Academy and Weldon High School—both of which serve grades 9 through 12 and belong to different districts: Halifax County Schools and Weldon City Schools, respectively.

Both schools face serious challenges tied to poverty and attendance. Nearly all students at each school qualify for free or reduced lunch (98.5% at Southeast Halifax and 97.9% at Weldon), and chronic absenteeism hovers around 44% at both schools—nearly double the state average of 24.2%. The district contexts are also similar, with both Halifax County Schools and Weldon City Schools ranking near the bottom of North Carolina districts. However, the schools show distinct strengths. Southeast Halifax Collegiate Prep Academy has the higher graduation rate at 84.7% (compared to Weldon’s 75.0%) and leads in Biology and Math I proficiency. Weldon High School, despite its lower graduation rate, has climbed to a rank of 459 out of 662 schools (31st percentile) and now posts proficiency above the state average in both Math I and Math III—including an impressive 73.7% proficiency in Math III.

The most encouraging news is that both schools improved across every tested End-of-Course subject from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. Weldon High School made the most dramatic gains, with Math III proficiency jumping from 28.6% to 73.7%, and sees a larger overall ranking improvement. Southeast Halifax Collegiate Prep Academy improved most in Math I (from 29.3% to 56.3%, now above the state average) and Biology. Because both schools have small enrollments (145 to 204 students), year-to-year swings can be sharp, so these gains should be viewed with cautious optimism. Still, the progress in mathematics at both schools is a genuine bright spot in a zip code where test scores have historically been low.