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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27917

New rankings! North Carolina test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

1,760

Students

Top rankedCurrituck County Middle344^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools

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Summary:

Zip code 27917 in Barco, North Carolina is served by three traditional public schools — Central Elementary (PK–5), Currituck County Middle (6–8), and Currituck County High (9–12) — all part of Currituck County Schools and enrolling a combined 1,760 students with no alternative schools available. The district ranks 49th of 246 North Carolina districts, placing it in the 80th percentile with a 4-star rating, but that strength is not shared evenly: Currituck County High and Currituck County Middle each earn 3 stars and rank at the 56th percentile of their school categories, while Central Elementary trails with 2 stars and a 39th percentile ranking.

Currituck County High is the standout for momentum and outcomes. Its 93.8% graduation rate tops the state average of 88.8%, and every End-of-Course subject improved from 2024–25 to 2025–26, including Math I jumping from 36.0% to 47.2% proficient and Math III from 71.0% to 83.3% — more than 14 points above the state. Currituck County Middle posts excellent 8th-grade math (78.5% proficient) and science (76.9%), yet its 7th-grade math proficiency falls to 47.7%, revealing sharp differences by cohort. Central Elementary is the area's most significant concern: only 3rd-grade reading exceeded the state average, and 5th-grade math dropped from 66.7% in 2024–25 to 44.4% in 2025–26.

The most consistent red flag across all three schools is chronic absenteeism. Every school exceeds the district rate of 25.5% and the state rate of 24.2%, with Central Elementary at 28.6%, Currituck County Middle at 32.9%, and Currituck County High at 39.8% — nearly two in five high school students. Despite that, the high school has climbed from 2 stars to 3 stars over the past two years. Economic diversity is present as well, with free/reduced lunch eligibility ranging from 34.2% at the high school to 44.7% at Central Elementary and 50.3% at the middle school. Families comparing schools will find the high school offers the strongest academic momentum, the middle school's 8th grade is a clear bright spot, and Central Elementary deserves careful attention in the upper elementary grades.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	504 Shortcut Road	Barco	27917	Currituck County	Currituck County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 453-0010	264	16	16.6	44.7%	172 (65.2%)	26 (9.8%)	27 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	37 (14.0%)	40.2	903^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	39.5%		48.3	771^st of 1490 public elementary schools	48.3%	132					63.6	57.1	44.4				59.1	45.7	41.7				66.7		$12,758	$1,371	$11,388
Currituck County High	Public	9-12	4203 Caratoke Hwy	Barco	27917	Currituck County	Currituck County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 453-0014	1,061	43	24.6	34.2%	795 (74.9%)	50 (4.7%)	106 (10.0%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (9.7%)	54.6	289^th of 662 public high schools	56.3%		50.7	291^st of 641 public high schools	54.6%	2	58.5	63.4	47.2	83.3															$10,344	$561	$9,783
Currituck County Middle	Public	6-8	4263 Caratoke Hwy	Barco	27917	Currituck County	Currituck County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 453-2171	435	27	16.4	50.3%	299 (68.7%)	19 (4.4%)	74 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (9.7%)	55.6	344^th of 778 public middle schools	55.8%		56.5	309^th of 773 public middle schools	60.0%	35								64.1	47.7	78.5				56.5	45.9	55.3		76.9	$10,871	$394	$10,477

Cities Near Zip Code 27917

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Barco	1.48 mi	3	213^th
Currituck	6.04 mi	1	30^th
Shawboro	7.59 mi	1	99^th
Poplar Branch	7.77 mi	1	56^th
Corolla	8.91 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.