Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28168

ZIP code 28168 is an elementary-only area containing three public schools — North Brook Elementary and Union Elementary in Lincoln County Schools, and Banoak Elementary in Catawba County Schools — serving roughly 977 students in grades PK through 6, with no middle or high schools located within the ZIP code.

Union Elementary is the strongest school in the area, ranking 302nd out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (80th percentile) and earning 4 stars. It leads all three schools in overall proficiency at 71.9%, with exceptional 5th-grade science results at 89.8% proficient compared to the state average of 67.7%. North Brook Elementary is the steady middle performer, ranking 513th (66th percentile) three years in a row, and it posted the ZIP code's highest single grade-level score with 80.3% of 3rd graders proficient in math. However, North Brook also has a red flag: only 41.2% of its 5th graders are proficient in reading, well below the state's 55.3%. Banoak Elementary is the attendance standout with a 13.6% chronic absenteeism rate, but its state ranking has slipped from the 72nd percentile to the 61st percentile over three years, dragged down by 6th-grade scores that fall below state averages.

Despite all three schools serving populations with roughly 99% eligibility for free/reduced-price lunch, every school exceeds state averages in 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade math as well as 5th-grade science. Reading is the shared weakness, particularly in upper elementary, where both North Brook and Banoak fall below state proficiency in 5th-grade reading. North Brook did show strong year-over-year reading improvement in grades 3 and 4, gaining roughly 18–20 points, so its early literacy gains are encouraging. Banoak improved in grades 3 through 5 but saw its 6th-grade math and reading scores decline by about 5 points each, which helps explain its falling state rank. Meanwhile, Union continues to outperform its peers on reading and science, and with lower chronic absenteeism than North Brook, it presents the most consistent all-around option for parents in this ZIP code.