Summary:
ZIP code 28075 serves approximately 4,926 students across five schools — three elementary, one middle, and one high school — and is defined by a striking contrast between a cluster of exceptional public schools and one low-performing charter school. Four of the five schools belong to Cabarrus County Schools, a 4-star district ranked 67th out of 246 in North Carolina, while the fifth school, A.C.E. Academy, is a K-8 charter that operates as its own 1-star district. Overall, this is a high-performing area with strong public school options from kindergarten through high school.
The best results are found in the Hickory Ridge feeder pattern. Hickory Ridge Elementary ranks in the 97th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools with 5 stars, scoring 94.9% proficient in 4th-grade math. Hickory Ridge Middle is just as strong, ranking 40th in the state with 95th-percentile placement and an 8th-grade science proficiency rate of 90.9%. Harrisburg Elementary also earns 5 stars at the 95th percentile, with math proficiency between 85% and 87%. Hickory Ridge High is slightly behind but still impressive, ranking 122nd out of 662 with a 94.2% graduation rate. These four schools all keep chronic absenteeism below 16%, and three of the four fall below 10%.
The outlier is A.C.E. Academy, a 1-star school serving nearly 98% economically disadvantaged students. Its 33.6% chronic absenteeism rate is far above the state average of 24.2%, and its test scores are mostly below state averages, though not uniformly: 7th-grade math hits 69.8% proficiency, above the state's 56.2%. Compare that to the district schools, which serve only 15-21% economically disadvantaged students. The demographic difference is stark and makes direct comparisons unfair, but for families seeking the highest-performing environment, the Cabarrus County schools in 28075 are clearly the stronger choice, with Hickory Ridge Elementary, Hickory Ridge Middle, and Harrisburg Elementary offering some of the best outcomes in the entire state.
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