Schools in Zip Code 27889

Zip code 27889 in Washington, NC is home to seven schools serving about 3,400 students in pre-K through grade 12, including Eastern Elementary, John C. Tayloe Elementary, John Small Elementary, P.S. Jones Middle, Washington High, Beaufort County Early College High, and Washington Montessori. Most of these schools belong to Beaufort County Schools, while Washington Montessori is its own separate district. The traditional path moves students from Eastern Elementary into Tayloe, then Small, then P.S. Jones, and finally Washington High or Early College High, but the outcomes at those two high schools could hardly be more different.

The academic standout is Beaufort County Early College High, which ranks in the 95th percentile of North Carolina high schools and scores between 92% and 99% proficient on high school End-of-Course tests—far above state averages. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the area at 9.2%, while serving a student body where nearly 99% qualify for free or reduced lunch. Washington Montessori is also a strong option, with reading proficiency above state averages in most grades, low absenteeism, small classes, and notably strong 3rd-grade reading. By contrast, Washington High is the most challenged school here: it ranks in the 13th percentile, has only 23% proficiency in Math I, a graduation rate below the state average, and the highest chronic absenteeism at 34%. The middle and elementary schools in the traditional district generally trail state averages by double digits.

What makes this zip code unusual is that poverty is nearly universal across all the Beaufort County schools—free/reduced lunch rates are above 99% in most buildings—yet performance is not evenly low. Higher-performing schools like Early College High and Washington Montessori also have much lower chronic absenteeism, which suggests attendance and school model matter more than funding levels or student poverty alone. Spending does not explain results either: Early College High spends the least per student yet posts the strongest scores. One trend worth watching is John C. Tayloe Elementary’s sharp drop in 3rd-grade math proficiency from 55.5% to 37.6% in one year. For parents, the key takeaway is that a small number of high-performing schools here show what is possible, while most traditional zoned schools are struggling and below state proficiency in nearly every tested subject.