Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27924

ZIP code 27924 is served by a single school, Colerain Elementary, a rural PK–5 elementary school in Bertie County, North Carolina, within the Bertie County Schools district. Because there is only one school, this profile focuses entirely on Colerain Elementary’s performance relative to its district and state.

Colerain Elementary is a small, high-poverty school: 193 students are enrolled, and an overwhelming 98.45% qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school does have a low student-teacher ratio of 11.6, but chronic absenteeism is a concern, with 30.9% of students chronically absent versus 28.7% for the district and 24.2% statewide. Academically, the most recent 2025–2026 school year shows a clear split. Third grade reading proficiency hit 60.9%, beating both the district (50.9%) and state (55.6%), and 3rd grade math also exceeded the district at 60.9% vs. 56.9%. However, upper elementary results drop sharply: 4th grade reading proficiency was just 33.3% (district 44.8%, state 57.7%), and 5th grade science proficiency was 34.8%, far below the state’s 67.7%. This pattern suggests either a difficult transition into upper elementary or cumulative gaps that become more evident by 4th and 5th grade.

The school’s statewide ranking has fallen from the 40th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 35th percentile in 2024–2025, and then sharply to the 14th percentile in 2025–2026—now a 1-star school. Given the small size of each grade cohort, proficiency rates can swing considerably from year to year; 3rd grade reading jumped from 25.8% to 60.9% in one year, while 5th grade science fell from 51.4% to 34.8%. Families should interpret single-year scores with caution, but the downward ranking trend combined with high absenteeism and poor upper-grade performance suggests the school’s main challenges are improving attendance and strengthening academic support in grades 4 and 5. There are no middle or high schools inside ZIP code 27924, so students must leave the immediate area after 5th grade, adding another transition on top of existing hurdles.