Summary:
ZIP code 27882 (Spring Hope, NC) contains 2 public schools in the Nash County Public Schools district: Spring Hope Elementary (PK–5) and Southern Nash Middle (6–8), with no high school in the ZIP itself. The two schools paint very different pictures. Southern Nash Middle is the standout, improving its state rank for three straight years to 339th of 778 middle schools (56th percentile, 3 stars). Spring Hope Elementary, by contrast, has slid to 1126th of 1,492 elementary schools (25th percentile, 1 star).
Both schools serve almost universally high-poverty populations (free/reduced lunch eligibility near 98%), yet results differ sharply. Southern Nash Middle beats the district in every tested grade and subject, while Spring Hope Elementary trails the district and state in every tested area. Southern Nash's 8th grade science proficiency is 77.2%, versus 65.2% district and 68.6% state, and the school improved in every EOG category year over year, including a +15.2 point gain in science. Its chronic absenteeism, however, is high at 39.3% versus 24.2% statewide. Spring Hope has better attendance (20.3%) but very low reading proficiency: 40.7% in 3rd grade, 43.9% in 4th, and 44.7% in 5th — a majority of students not reading proficiently.
Spring Hope Elementary also spent more per pupil ($10,423 vs. $7,877 in 2018-2019), yet posted far weaker results — a comparison that is not causal, as the spending data is older. At Southern Nash, math proficiency declines as grade level rises, from 63.4% in 6th grade to 46.4% in 8th. With no high school in the ZIP code, the middle school's improvement is especially important before students transition outside the area. Overall, 27882 is a tale of two schools: a rising, 3-star middle school overcoming high poverty and attendance challenges, and a 1-star elementary school whose early-literacy struggles demand urgent attention.
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