Summary:
Zip code 28023 in China Grove, North Carolina, contains three elementary schools — China Grove Elementary, Millbridge Elementary, and Bostian Elementary — serving roughly 1,481 students in grades PK through 5 within the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district. Despite belonging to a district rated just 1 star and ranked 199th out of 246 North Carolina districts, these three schools vary dramatically in performance, ranging from the 15th to the 75th percentile statewide in the 2025–2026 rankings.
Bostian Elementary is the top overall standout, ranking in the 75th percentile with 4 stars and roughly 70% average EOG proficiency. It leads the group in 5th-grade science (86.7% proficient vs. 67.7% statewide), posts the lowest chronic absenteeism at 11.4%, and spends the most per student at $11,138. Millbridge Elementary is a close, consistent performer, ranking in the 71st percentile with 4 stars and earning 3 or 4 stars every year; it averages about 72% proficiency in math. Both high-performing schools have free/reduced lunch rates above 99%, yet they outpace state averages across core subjects — evidence that high poverty does not prevent academic success.
China Grove Elementary is the clear outlier, ranking in just the 15th percentile with 1 star and roughly 44.9% average EOG proficiency, though it made the largest single-year improvement in the group (from the 4th to the 15th percentile). Its attendance and resources lag as well: chronic absenteeism is 25.5%, per-pupil spending is lowest at $9,544, and the student–teacher ratio is highest at 18.5. Reading is the weakest subject across all three schools — even Bostian's reading average is well below its math average — and China Grove's 5th-grade reading proficiency of just 33% highlights where attention is needed most.
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