Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27865

Zip code 27865 (Pinetown, NC) is home to two public schools in Beaufort County Schools: Northside High, serving grades 9–12 with 380 students, and Northeast Elementary, serving PK–8 with 355 students. Because the zip code has no standalone middle school, Northeast Elementary is the only middle-grade option before students move directly to Northside High. Both schools serve high-poverty communities, with free/reduced-price lunch rates near 99 percent at each school.

Northside High is the clear standout. It has climbed from the 46th percentile statewide in 2023–2024 to the 58th percentile in 2025–2026 and now holds a 3-star rating. Its graduation rate of 90.8 percent exceeds both the district rate of 88.5 percent and the state rate of 88.8 percent. The school also posted major End-of-Course gains in 2025–2026, exceeding state proficiency averages in Biology, Math I, and Math III; Math III is especially strong at 80.7 percent proficient versus 68.9 percent statewide. Northeast Elementary, by contrast, holds a 2-star rating at the 39th percentile. Its average Reading proficiency across grades 3–8 is just 45.9 percent versus 56.0 percent statewide, and it trails the district and state in both Math and Reading. It does have bright spots—5th grade Science and 8th grade Math exceed state averages—and its overall Science proficiency is slightly above the state average.

Chronic absenteeism further separates the two. Only 17.5 percent of Northside High students are chronically absent—well below the state rate of 24.2 percent—while Northeast Elementary sits at 24.6 percent. For a high-poverty high school, Northside's attendance is exceptionally strong and likely fuels its academic momentum. At Northeast Elementary, small grade-level cohorts make year-to-year results volatile: 3rd grade Math jumped from 44.4 percent to 70.4 percent proficiency in one year, while 7th grade Reading fell from 55.3 percent to 32.1 percent. Reading remains the school's biggest concern, falling below the state average in five of six tested grades in 2025–2026. In short, this zip code offers families one high school on the rise and one PK–8 school with notable Science strengths but a clear need for additional literacy support.