Summary:
Zip code 27864, located in Pinetops, North Carolina, is home to exactly one middle school, South Edgecombe Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 with 271 students as part of the Edgecombe County Public Schools district.
South Edgecombe Middle stands out as a clear academic bright spot within a district ranked in the bottom 13th percentile statewide. Despite nearly 99% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 41.0% — nearly double the state average of 24.2% — the school outperforms the district average on every End-of-Grade assessment, often by 12 to 19 percentage points. The school's upward trajectory is especially notable: its statewide ranking improved from the 29th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 44th percentile in 2025–2026. Sixth-grade math is a particular strength, with 65.7% proficiency in 2025–2026, exceeding the state average of 59.2% and nearly doubling the district rate of 35.6%. Science also showed dramatic improvement, jumping 15.3 points year over year to 65.9% proficiency, just below the state average of 68.6%.
The most urgent area for intervention is 8th-grade reading, which declined from 47.1% to 43.9% between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, leaving a 12.2-point gap below the state average. This stands in contrast to strong yearly gains in most other subjects, including 7th-grade reading (+10.2 points) and 6th-grade math (+10.3 points). Because this is the only middle school in the zip code, comparisons are limited to the district and state level. Within that context, South Edgecombe Middle is performing well above its district peers while still facing challenges tied to high poverty and chronic absenteeism. For parents, this school appears to offer effective instruction and a meaningful upward trend, even as attendance and 8th-grade reading remain key areas to watch.
Thank you for your feedback!