Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28124

Zip code 28124 is home to three public schools in Mount Pleasant, NC: Mount Pleasant Elementary, Mount Pleasant Middle, and Mount Pleasant High, serving grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 respectively within Cabarrus County Schools. This K-12 feeder pattern is part of a district rated 4 stars and ranked 67th of 246 North Carolina districts. Enrollment ranges from 660 at the middle school to 894 at the high school, with the middle school serving the highest share of economically disadvantaged students (47.9% free/reduced lunch), followed by the elementary school (43.6%) and the high school (38.4%).

Among the three, Mount Pleasant Elementary is the clear academic standout. It ranks in the 75th percentile statewide with 4 stars, and its 5th-grade science proficiency hits 89.8%, far above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is just 13.2%, the lowest in the feeder. Mount Pleasant Middle is a watch point: while 8th-grade science is strong at 77.8%, 8th-grade math proficiency fell from 57.8% to 47.2% in one year, leaving it 14.4 points below the district. Mount Pleasant High has the weakest ranking (49th percentile, 2 stars) and the highest chronic absenteeism at 30.0%, but it posts a graduation rate of 91.5%, above the state average.

The data show a clear downward trend from elementary to high school: statewide percentiles fall from 75th to 61st to 49th, while chronic absenteeism rises from 13.2% to 17.9% to 30.0%. Math is the biggest academic concern, especially at the secondary level: high school Math I proficiency is just 36.3%, and Math III dropped by nearly nine points in a year. Science, on the other hand, is a consistent strength at every level, with all three schools above state averages. Large year-to-year swings in Biology, Math III, and 8th-grade math suggest cohort effects rather than steady trends, so 2026–27 results will be important. For parents, the overarching takeaway is that Mount Pleasant Elementary sets a strong foundation, but the path through middle and high school brings rising attendance challenges and a particularly urgent need for math support.