Schools in Zip Code 28144

ZIP code 28144 in Salisbury, North Carolina, is served by four public schools — Salisbury High, Summit Virtual Academy, Overton Elementary, and Henderson High — all part of Rowan-Salisbury Schools, a district that ranks in the bottom fifth of North Carolina school systems. The schools span kindergarten through 12th grade, though there is no standalone middle school; middle-grade students attend Henderson High or Summit Virtual Academy. Every school in the ZIP serves a heavily low-income population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 80.5% at Summit Virtual Academy to 99.7% at Salisbury High. Chronic absenteeism is also high everywhere, running between roughly 46% and 53% at each school, versus a 24.2% state rate.

Salisbury High is the largest school and the strongest traditional high school option in the ZIP, posting the best high-school test scores of the group — though its English II (41.8%), Biology (36.5%), Math III (24.6%), and Math I (18.4%) proficiency rates all trail state averages. Summit Virtual Academy, the alternative K–12 school, has the highest graduation rate in the ZIP at 81.9%, and its elementary and middle grades show real bright spots, including 5th-grade Science at 71.4% proficiency, above the state average. Overton Elementary, the only traditional elementary school, ranks in the 1st percentile statewide but improved broadly from 2024–25 to 2025–26, with 5th-grade Science jumping from 18.8% to 37.1%. Henderson High is the most concerning outlier, with a 15.8% graduation rate, single-digit proficiency in English II (5.3%), Biology (7.1%), and 8th-grade Reading (6.7%), and chronic absenteeism near 49%.

High school math is the weakest academic area across the ZIP, with proficiency gaps versus the state of roughly 24 to 45 percentage points, and early elementary gaps are already severe — Overton's 3rd-grade Math proficiency was just 18.6% versus 66.4% statewide. Notably, Henderson High spends the most per student ($25,678) yet shows the lowest outcomes, while Salisbury High spends the least ($11,029) and performs best. Some improvement is visible at Salisbury High and Overton, but gains are fragile and inconsistent, especially given the small enrollments at Summit, Overton, and Henderson.