Summary:
Zip code 28080 in Iron Station, North Carolina, is served by a single middle school, East Lincoln Middle, which enrolls students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of Lincoln County Schools. Because there is only one school in the area, the focus here is on how this school stacks up against district and state averages, and on its own performance trends over recent years.
East Lincoln Middle has earned a consistent 4-star state rating and ranks in roughly the top 28–29% of North Carolina middle schools, with its strongest overall showing in 2023–2024 when it ranked 181st out of 793 schools. Academically, math is a clear standout: in 2025–2026, proficiency rates ranged from 62.8% in 7th grade to 73.8% in 6th grade, all well above district and state averages. Science is equally impressive, with 79.1% of 8th graders proficient on the science EOG, a sharp jump from 65.2% the previous year. Reading is the relative weak spot — scores generally hover near or slightly above state averages, but 7th grade reading dipped below both the district and state in 2025–2026, and 8th grade reading did the same the prior year. The data also suggests a possible "7th grade slump," as 7th graders posted the lowest math and reading scores within the school for the most recent year.
About 37.8% of students at East Lincoln Middle receive free or reduced-price lunch, yet the school continues to outperform state averages in most subjects, pointing to effective instruction, especially in STEM areas. Chronic absenteeism affects 18.6% of students — better than the state rate of 24.2% but slightly higher than the district's 17.2%. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.2:1, class sizes are typical for a public middle school. While per-student spending data is dated at $7,305 from 2018–2019, the overall picture is clear: East Lincoln Middle is a strong, above-average school where math and science shine, literacy in the middle grades offers room for growth, and attendance trends are worth monitoring.
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