Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28036

Zip code 28036 in the Davidson area of North Carolina has just 2 public schools — Davidson Elementary, a K-5 traditional elementary in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and Community School of Davidson, a K-12 alternative school — together serving 2,816 students. Because the zip code has no traditional standalone middle or high school, Community School of Davidson is the only public option within 28036 past 5th grade; students attending Davidson Elementary transition into CMS schools outside the zip code.

Davidson Elementary is the standout traditional school: it ranks 30th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools, placing it in the 98th percentile with a 5-star rating. Proficiency is elite in every tested subject, with grades 3-5 averaging 90.7 percent in math and 88.1 percent in reading — roughly 20 to 30 points above state averages. The school also outshines its own district, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which is ranked 105th out of 246 NC districts, and its chronic absenteeism of 10.1 percent is far below CMS's 26.8 percent.

Community School of Davidson is just as strong across a far wider grade span, and as the Community School of Davidson school district it reports some of the lowest chronic absenteeism in the state at just 6.5 percent, compared to North Carolina's 24.2 percent. Across grades 3-8, its math and reading proficiency average roughly 78 and 76 percent, while end-of-course pass rates reach 92.6 percent in English II and 94.1 percent in Math III. Its only notable relative weakness is Math I at 45.9 percent — just above the state's 42.1 percent, likely reflecting the wider mix of students who take it. Together, these two schools make zip code 28036 one of the most academically impressive public school areas in North Carolina, offering both a top-30 traditional elementary option and a tightly knit K-12 alternative.