Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28097

Summary:

The 28097 zip code area is home to two high-performing schools - West Stanly Middle School and Locust Elementary, both serving students in the Stanly County Schools district. These schools demonstrate exceptional academic outcomes, with consistent top-quartile rankings and high ratings from SchoolDigger.

West Stanly Middle School has consistently ranked in the top 25% of North Carolina middle schools over the past 3 years, with a 4-star rating. The school outperforms the district and state averages on most End-of-Grade (EOG) test scores, particularly in mathematics. In contrast, Locust Elementary has been ranked in the top 10-15% of North Carolina elementary schools, with a 4-5 star rating, and significantly outperforms the district and state on EOG tests, especially in mathematics and science.

Despite the stark contrast in free/reduced lunch rates between the two schools (44.71% at West Stanly Middle and 96.01% at Locust Elementary), both institutions are delivering high-quality education to their students. The similar per-student spending suggests that factors beyond funding, such as teacher quality, curriculum, and school leadership, may be driving the schools' exceptional performance. Overall, the 28097 zip code is home to a pair of standout schools that are effectively serving their diverse student populations and providing a strong foundation for academic success.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Locust Elementary	Public	K-5	103 School Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-5500	563	36	15.7	99.5%	408 (72.5%)	27 (4.8%)	88 (15.6%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.7%)	83	203^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	86.4%		86.3	160^th of 1505 public elementary schools	89.4%	43	72.9	69.0	89.2				59.4	64.0	75.5				89.2		$8,043	$624	$7,419
West Stanly Middle School	Public	6-8	339 Running Creek Church Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-3600	662	38	17.3	99.5%	472 (71.3%)	35 (5.3%)	101 (15.3%)	14 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.9%)	74.5	168^th of 773 public middle schools	78.3%		71	199^th of 793 public middle schools	74.9%	31				70.4	64.7	61.7				60.2	62.7	70.9		64.3	$8,483	$608	$7,875

Cities Near Zip Code 28097

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Locust	0.48 mi	2	43^rd
Stanfield	2.42 mi	1	186^th
Oakboro	4.52 mi	2	36^th
Midland	6.27 mi	1	37^th
Concord	8.29 mi	35	227^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.