Summary:
ZIP code 28023 in China Grove, NC contains 6 schools serving approximately 4,048 students, all belonging to the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district, which ranks at the 19th percentile statewide. The school mix includes two high schools (Carson High and South Rowan High), one middle school (China Grove Middle), and three elementary schools (China Grove Elementary, Millbridge Elementary, and Bostian Elementary). One of the most defining characteristics of this area is that every school has near-universal free/reduced-price lunch eligibility (99.12% to 99.72%), marking this as a high-poverty cluster of schools.
Despite the high poverty levels, there are clear standouts. Bostian Elementary ranks at the 75th percentile (4 stars) — the highest in the ZIP code — and scores above state averages in every EOG subject, including 86.7% proficiency in 5th-grade science versus 67.7% statewide. Millbridge Elementary is also a strong performer at the 71st percentile (4 stars), achieving above-state results in all subjects with particularly strong math scores. At the secondary level, Carson High has shown the most dramatic improvement, climbing from the 24th percentile in 2023-24 to the 55th percentile in 2025-26; its Biology proficiency jumped from 35% to 91.5%, and its graduation rate of 92.7% exceeds both district and state rates. In contrast, South Rowan High lags at the 15th percentile with just 19.1% Math I proficiency and 44.6% chronic absenteeism.
Attendance and resources track achievement closely across all six schools. Bostian (11.4%) and Millbridge (15.4%) have the lowest chronic absenteeism and the most favorable student-teacher ratios (15.6:1 and 15.4:1), while South Rowan (44.6%) and China Grove Middle (40.8%) struggle with attendance and performance. Bostian also spends the most per student ($11,138), while Carson High spends the least ($8,570). Within a single ZIP code, statewide rankings range from the 75th percentile to the 15th, illustrating how much outcomes vary by school. For parents, Bostian and Millbridge are the strongest elementary options, while Carson High is the strongest secondary school.
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