Summary:
A single public high school serves ZIP code 28103: Forest Hills High in Marshville, NC, enrolling roughly 973 students in grades 9 through 12 as part of Union County Public Schools. It is the only high school option in the ZIP code, so local families are zoned entirely to this school. Notably, while its district is highly rated—ranked #43 of 246 districts in North Carolina—Forest Hills High sits at #500 out of 662 high schools, putting the school in the state's bottom quarter with a 1-star rating. Almost the entire student body (99.28%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch, signaling an extremely high-poverty school.
Academically, Forest Hills High trails Union County Public Schools by large margins on every End-of-Course exam: Biology proficiency is 41.2% versus the district's 71.9%, English II is 54.2% versus 79.4%, Math I is 38.9% versus 58.8%, and Math III is 50.2% versus 82.4%. Math III shows the largest gap (over 32 points), while Math I is the school's weakest subject overall. Encouragingly, the latest year shows strong gains in Biology (+15.7 points), English II (+8.8), and Math I (+10.9), though Math III dropped by 6.4 points. Chronic absenteeism affects 26.3% of students, well above the district's 14.6% rate, and is a serious concern for daily learning and achievement.
The school's graduation rate is 87.6%, close to the state's 88.8% and a good sign that students are finishing high school. The student-teacher ratio is a moderate 15.1-to-1, with per-student spending reported at $11,781. Bottom line for parents: this school faces real hurdles from concentrated poverty and chronic absenteeism, and its test performance trails its high-achieving district. But proficiency is trending upward in several subjects, and the school graduates nearly as many students as the state average. Because there is no other high school within ZIP code 28103, families seeking options will need to look at other programs within Union County Public Schools or outside the area.
Thank you for your feedback!