Summary:
Zip code 27949, covering the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina's Outer Banks, contains exactly one public elementary school: Kitty Hawk Elementary School, serving grades PK through 5 with 487 students as part of Dare County Schools. This single school is a standout by any measure, consistently earning 4 stars and ranking in the top quarter of North Carolina elementary schools for three consecutive years. In the most recent 2025–2026 cycle, the school ranked 354th out of 1,492 schools statewide, placing in the 76th percentile, after an even stronger 87th percentile showing the previous year.
Academically, Kitty Hawk Elementary excels across subjects, particularly in 5th-grade science, where 87.1% of students scored proficient in 2025–2026 compared to only 67.7% statewide. Math proficiency is strong at every grade level, ranging from 64.8% in 3rd grade to 72.9% in 5th grade, while reading proficiency was solid though more uneven. The school also keeps students engaged, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 19.3%—dramatically lower than the district's 32.3% and the state's 24.2%. Just 23.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a relatively affluent community that provides important context when interpreting these high scores.
Despite recent year-over-year dips in 3rd-grade math and 5th-grade math, Kitty Hawk Elementary School maintains a wide lead over district and state averages, and its low 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio supports a strong learning environment. With no middle or high schools in the zip code, families can expect their children to feed into schools elsewhere in Dare County Schools, which ranks 78th out of 246 districts statewide. For parents in zip 27949, Kitty Hawk Elementary is the only public elementary option—and by every metric, it is an excellent one.
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