Summary:
Zip code 28042 is home to a single public school, Fallston Elementary, a PK–5 elementary school serving about 502 students in the Cleveland County Schools district. Because there are no middle or high schools in this zip code, Fallston is the only educational step for families here, with students moving on to other areas for secondary grades.
Fallston Elementary stands out as a school that is beating expectations. It serves an extremely high-poverty population, with 99.4% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet it outperforms the state in six of seven EOG subject and grade combinations for the latest school year. The school has also improved dramatically in statewide rankings, jumping from the 38th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 68th percentile in 2025-2026, and earning a 3-star rating. Its 5th-grade science proficiency is especially strong at 82.2%, well above the district’s 73.1% and the state’s 67.7%. Reading and math scores in 3rd and 4th grades generally exceed both district and state averages, making the school a standout example of academic success despite economic challenges.
The most impressive gain came in 4th-grade math, which soared by 21.6 percentage points in one year, rising from 43.2% to 64.8% proficiency. However, one area of concern is 5th-grade reading, where only 46.6% of students are proficient, below the district’s 52.9% and the state’s 55.3%, and this was the only subject to dip from the prior year. Encouragingly, chronic absenteeism is lower than district and state averages, which may be supporting the school’s progress. For parents considering this area, Fallston Elementary offers a strong elementary education with clear momentum, a dedicated approach to improvement, and a few specific areas, particularly 5th-grade reading, that merit continued attention.
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