Schools in Zip Code 28097

ZIP code 28097 in Locust, North Carolina, contains two schools — Locust Elementary (grades K–5) and West Stanly Middle School (grades 6–8) — both part of Stanly County Schools, with no high school located in the ZIP code, so students leave the area after eighth grade for high school.

Despite serving a student body in which roughly 99.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, both schools carry 4-star ratings and exceed district and state averages in every reported subject. Locust Elementary ranks 220th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (85th percentile) and posts about 74.4% average proficiency. West Stanly Middle School ranks 131st of 778 middle schools (83rd percentile) with about 71.5% proficiency. The elementary school currently has the stronger academics — higher scores in math, reading, and science, including 86.6% proficiency in 5th-grade science. The middle school, however, has bigger momentum: its average proficiency jumped from about 65% to 71.5%, and its NC rank improved from the 75th to the 83rd percentile, with 8th-grade science surging 17.5 points to 81.8%.

Both schools also keep chronic absenteeism remarkably low for their economic context: 11.4% at Locust Elementary and 16.4% at West Stanly Middle School, compared with 19.7% for Stanly County Schools and 24.2% statewide. Math and science proficiency outpace reading at both schools. The only watchpoint is Locust Elementary's gradual slide in state percentile — from 89th three years ago to 85th now — driven mostly by a drop in 5th-grade math from 89.2% to 79.4%; its scores still sit far above state averages. Overall, ZIP code 28097 offers families two standout schools: Locust Elementary as a reliable K–5 foundation and West Stanly Middle School as a rapidly rising middle school.