Summary:
ZIP code 28031, in the Cornelius area of North Carolina, is served by five schools totaling roughly 5,414 students: three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Four belong to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, a district that ranks only in the 57th percentile statewide, yet these local schools are among its strongest. The fifth, Lakeside Charter Academy, is an independent charter serving grades K-8 and falls far outside the local pattern academically.
Families in this ZIP code have a clear hierarchy of options. J.V. Washam Elementary is the top elementary school, ranking 91st of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (94th percentile), with remarkable 5th grade math proficiency of 93.8%. Bailey Middle matches that elite level, ranking 50th of 778 middle schools (94th percentile) with strong results across every subject. William Amos Hough High continues the pattern at the 81st percentile, posting a 94.9% graduation rate and End-of-Course scores far exceeding district and state averages. Cornelius Elementary is also solid — 90th percentile — though slightly behind J.V. Washam. The striking outlier is Lakeside Charter Academy, which ranks in the 2nd percentile and saw 3rd grade reading proficiency collapse to just 9.1%.
The contrasts within this one ZIP code are dramatic. J.V. Washam's 5th grade math proficiency exceeds Lakeside's by more than 66 percentage points. Attendance appears closely tied to performance: all four CMS schools have chronic absenteeism rates well below the state average of 24.2%, while Lakeside's rate is 30.7%. Across the CMS elementary and middle schools, math proficiency consistently outpaces reading, though both exceed state averages. With high-performing elementary options feeding into Bailey Middle and then Hough High, ZIP 28031 offers a strong K-12 public school pathway through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
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