Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28009

The zip code 28009 is home to just one public school, Badin Elementary, a K–5 school serving the small town of Badin, NC, as part of Stanly County Schools. With no middle or high schools in the area, this elementary school is the entire public education story for this zip code, and it is a notably positive one. Badin Elementary enrolls about 411 students, has a low student-teacher ratio of 14.2 to 1, and has earned a 4-star rating from the state for three consecutive years, consistently ranking in the top quarter of North Carolina elementary schools. During the 2024–2025 school year, it ranked 169th out of 1,490 schools statewide, placing it in the top 11%.

Despite the fact that over 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Badin Elementary outpaces its district and the state across most subjects. In the most recent 2025–2026 testing, its overall average EOG proficiency was about 73%, compared with 62% for the district and 61% statewide. Math and science are standout areas: 5th grade science proficiency reached about 85%—roughly 17 points above the state average—and 3rd through 5th grade math proficiency ranged from 74% to 79%. Reading is the relative weak spot, especially in 3rd grade, where performance fell slightly below district and state averages. However, reading improves steadily as students advance, with 5th grade reading proficiency climbing to about 76%, which suggests students who enter with lower early literacy skills make strong progress by upper elementary grades.

Chronic absenteeism, often a concern in high-poverty schools, is lower at Badin Elementary (15.6%) than in the district (19.7%) or the state (24.2%), providing a likely foundation for academic success. Statewide rankings fluctuate from year to year—from 381st to 169th to 285th over the past three years—but the school has remained in the 75th–89th percentile throughout, reflecting both strong performance and the normal variation of a smaller school population. For parents considering schools in the 28009 area, Badin Elementary offers a high-achieving, stable learning environment in a close-knit community, even though families will need to look outside the zip code for middle and high school options.