Summary:
In ZIP code 28080, located in the Iron Station area of North Carolina, there is exactly one elementary school: Iron Station Elementary, serving grades PK–5 with an enrollment of 367 students. This school belongs to Lincoln County Schools, a district ranked in the 70th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating, providing a strong district context for the school.
Iron Station Elementary stands out for achieving strong math and science results while serving a student population with very high economic need — 98.64% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. In 2024–2025, 5th grade science proficiency hit 86%, which was 24 points above the state average, and 5th grade math reached 80.7%, well above the district and state. The following year, math scores remained competitive across all grades, and 5th grade science stayed strong at 77.8%. The school also reports a chronic absenteeism rate of 15.2%, far better than the state rate of 24.2%, and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.6, which may support targeted instruction. These factors help explain why the school has earned 3- or 4-star ratings in recent years, with its best ranking at the 81st percentile in 2024–2025.
Reading proficiency is the main area of concern, especially in 3rd grade. In 2025–2026, only 40.3% of 3rd graders were proficient in reading, a sharp drop from 50.9% the prior year and more than 15 points below both district and state averages. Upper-grade reading scores remain closer to average, but the decline in early literacy is likely a key reason the school’s ranking slipped from the 81st to the 62nd percentile. Focusing on early reading support while maintaining its clear strengths in math, science, and attendance could help Iron Station Elementary reverse that recent decline and build on its record of beating expectations despite high poverty.
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