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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28092

At a glance

Schools

2,449

Students

Top rankedBattleground Elementary374^th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

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Smallest classes

Love Memorial Elementary 12.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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Summary:

In ZIP code 28092 (Lincolnton, NC), there are 7 elementary schools serving roughly 2,449 students in grades PK–5 (with Pumpkin Center split into a PK–2 primary and a 3–5 intermediate), all part of Lincoln County Schools, a district ranked in the 70th percentile statewide. All seven schools serve very high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch rates between 97% and 99%, yet academic outcomes vary dramatically from the 75th to the 13th percentile.

Battleground Elementary is the clear academic leader, with an average EOG proficiency around 71.5%, a 75th-percentile state ranking, and standout 3rd and 5th grade math scores above 87%. Pumpkin Center Intermediate is notable for the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (10.6%) and strong 5th grade science (83%), while Pumpkin Center Primary also posts low absenteeism (13.4%). At the other end, Love Memorial Elementary is the most challenged: 1-star rating, 13th-percentile ranking, highest chronic absenteeism (24.7%), and lowest test scores despite having the highest per-pupil spending and lowest student-teacher ratio. S Ray Lowder Elementary sits in the middle at the 41st percentile, while Childers Elementary and GE Massey Elementary both rank at the 28th percentile.

Across the area, reading proficiency consistently trails math, with gaps of up to 39 points at Battleground in 5th grade. Fourth grade reading is the weakest subject-grade combination, averaging about 46% proficiency. Notably, Battleground has improved from the 56th to the 75th percentile, while S Ray Lowder has declined from the 55th to the 41st percentile, and Love Memorial has stayed persistently low. Chronic absenteeism is a clear separator: the Pumpkin Center schools have far lower rates than most PK–5 schools, and the strong results at Pumpkin Center Intermediate suggest the split grade configuration and attendance culture may be worth attention. Spending and staffing levels do not automatically predict success—Battleground spends less than the group average but gets the best results, while Love Memorial spends the most yet struggles academically.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Battleground Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Jeb Seagle Dr	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 736-1626	420	32	13.1	97.1%	190 (45.2%)	66 (15.7%)	118 (28.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.7%)	72.2	374^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.9%		71.3	369^th of 1490 public elementary schools	75.2%	5	88.2	71.0	87.1	70.6	54.8	48.4	80.6	$9,785	$1,121	$8,664
GE Massey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	130 Newbold St	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 735-2322	370	27	13.6	99.2%	175 (47.3%)	63 (17.0%)	103 (27.8%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.9%)	31.1	1071^st of 1492 public elementary schools	28.2%		31.2	1070^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.2%	1	70.2	55.4	41.5	43.9	41.5	41.5	53.7	$9,086	$1,289	$7,797
Love Memorial Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1463 Love Memorial Sch Rd	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 735-5649	315	25	12.4	99.0%	244 (77.5%)	10 (3.2%)	38 (12.1%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.0%)	18.7	1304^th of 1492 public elementary schools	12.6%		24.6	1194^th of 1490 public elementary schools	19.9%	110	61.5	35.1	39.5	53.8	29.7	32.6	39.5	$12,264	$1,597	$10,666
S Ray Lowder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	350 Kennedy Dr	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 735-2741	306	23	13.4	97.4%	152 (49.7%)	50 (16.3%)	71 (23.2%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.8%)	41.8	883^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	40.8%		47.2	798^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.4%	85	51.1	65.2	51.4	46.8	58.7	51.4	62.9	$10,042	$1,245	$8,797
Pumpkin Center Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	3970 King Wilkinson Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-1394	325	24	13.6	99.1%	260 (80.0%)	10 (3.1%)	32 (9.8%)	11 (3.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)								(n/a)								$9,198	$156	$9,042
Childers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2595 Rock Dam Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 736-9610	418	30	13.7	97.1%	306 (73.2%)	10 (2.4%)	81 (19.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	30.6	1078^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.7%		42.6	868^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.7%	210	40.7	49.3	66.2	33.9	40.3	43.1	69.2	$9,897	$1,409	$8,488
Pumpkin Center Intermediate	Public	3-5	3980 King Wilkinson Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-1504	295	19	15.9	99.0%	239 (81.0%)	4 (1.4%)	31 (10.5%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	57.2	623^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	58.2%		59.6	571^st of 1490 public elementary schools	61.7%	52	60.5	48.2	69.8	54.7	49.4	65.1	83.0	$9,377	$670	$8,707

Cities Near Zip Code 28092

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lincolnton	0.89 mi	14	255^th
Iron Station	3.69 mi	2	79^th
Denver	6.13 mi	7	63^rd
Maiden	6.54 mi	4	152^nd
Vale	8.45 mi	3	105^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.