Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28020

ZIP code 28020, in the rural Casar area of North Carolina, contains just one public school—Casar Elementary—which serves grades PK through 5 with 275 students. Because no middle or high schools exist within this ZIP code, families in Casar must look outside the immediate area for grades 6–12, a practical consideration when researching local schooling options. This school is part of Cleveland County Schools, a moderately ranked district sitting at the 67th percentile statewide, yet Casar Elementary itself is an exceptional standout.

Despite having nearly all students (98.91%) eligible for free/reduced lunch, Casar Elementary performs at remarkably high academic levels. It has improved from a 4-star school to a 5-star school, currently ranking in the 95th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools—up from the 83rd percentile just two years ago. EOG proficiency rates far outpace both district and state averages in every subject and grade. For example, 5th-grade science proficiency is 93.8% versus the state's 67.7%, and 4th-grade math proficiency is 92.9% compared with the state's 61.4%. Average proficiency across all tested subjects is roughly 84%, versus about 65% for the district and 61% for the state. The strongest subjects are science and math, while reading, though still above average, is relatively weaker; 4th-grade reading is the lowest score at 73.8%.

Chronic absenteeism affects about 20.5% of students, but this is better than the district rate of 23.2% and the state rate of 24.2%. The student–teacher ratio of 14.2-to-1 is fairly low, supporting individualized instruction. Large year-to-year gains are evident, including 4th-grade math jumping from 64.6% to 92.9% and 3rd-grade reading rising from 53.2% to 76.6%. While these swings partly reflect different cohorts, the overall trend is strongly positive. Casar Elementary is clearly a high-achieving, high-poverty school that outperforms expectations, with its main challenges being chronic absenteeism and the absence of local secondary schools rather than academic performance.