Schools in Zip Code 28120

ZIP code 28120 covers the Mount Holly, North Carolina area, with five schools serving roughly 4,310 students from Pre-K through 12th grade: two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one K-12 charter school. Four of the five schools belong to Gaston County Schools, while Mountain Island Charter School operates as its own charter district. There is a stark economic divide within the ZIP code: Mountain Island Charter School reports just 27.4% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, while the four Gaston County campuses all range between 97.6% and 99.6%.

Mountain Island Charter School posts the strongest overall academic numbers, beating state averages in 16 of 18 subject comparisons, including 89.4% proficiency in 5th grade math and 79.3% in English II. Its weakness is high-school-level math: Math I proficiency sits at just 35.7%, below the state's 42.1%. Pinewood Elementary tells a different and compelling story: despite 99.4% free/reduced-lunch eligibility, it has climbed to the 76th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating and beats state averages in every EOG subject. East Gaston High posts an excellent 94.3% graduation rate and strong Math I results at 53.8% far above the state average, though it trails the state in Biology, English II, and Math III.

Ida Rankin Elementary School and Mount Holly Middle round out the positive picture. Ida Rankin Elementary School reaches 86.7% proficiency in 5th grade math, well ahead of the state's 62.9%, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 14.4%. Mount Holly Middle outperforms the state in 8th grade reading, math, and science, with 8th grade science at 76.9% versus 68.6% statewide. Science is a consistent local strength overall, with 5th grade science proficiency ranging from 76.4% at Pinewood Elementary to 83.7% at Mountain Island Charter School.