Best High Schools in Zip Code 28037

High Schools located in zip code 28037 (the Denver, NC area) include one public high school, East Lincoln High, serving grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 1,047 students in Lincoln County Schools. East Lincoln High stands out as a high-performing school with strong academic proficiency, excellent attendance, and a graduation rate that exceeds both district and state averages.

East Lincoln High consistently outperforms North Carolina state averages across all End-of-Course (EOC) subjects, with Math I being a particularly notable strength: in the 2025–2026 school year, 68.3% of students scored proficient compared to just 42.1% statewide—a 26-percentage-point advantage. Biology proficiency also jumped sharply from 58.0% to 69.2% in one year, and the school’s graduation rate sits at 93.7%, nearly five points above the state. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 10.1% versus 24.2% for the state, reflecting strong student engagement, and more than 30% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch yet the school still achieves well above state benchmarks. The school’s state ranking improved to the 74th percentile in 2024–2025 before slipping to the 67th percentile in 2025–2026, though absolute metrics like graduation rate and Math I proficiency remained strong or improved. Notably, Math III proficiency declined from 87.2% to 75.4%, and while still above the state average, it fell behind Lincoln County Schools (79.5% proficient) in that subject.

Within the context of a high-performing district—Lincoln County Schools is ranked in the 70th percentile of North Carolina districts—East Lincoln emerges as a clearly competitive school. English II proficiency dipped slightly but remains above state levels, and the school’s exceptional attendance rate is less than half the state’s chronic absenteeism figure, which likely bolsters both academic outcomes and the strong graduation rate. Areas for attention include sustaining Math III gains and reversing the modest ranking slide, but the overall picture is that of a high-achieving school where students perform well across core subjects, making it a standout option in the 28037 area.