Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28170

Zip code 28170 contains two public elementary schools: Wadesboro Primary, serving grades K–3 with 295 students, and Ansonville Elementary, serving grades K–6 with 158 students, both part of Anson County Schools in North Carolina. The district ranks 189th out of 246 North Carolina districts, and both schools serve nearly identical high-poverty populations, with roughly 98–99% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Despite comparable resources, the two schools differ meaningfully in attendance and academic outcomes.

Ansonville Elementary stands out as the stronger school in the most recent data. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 29.4% is well below the district's 42.0%, and state rankings show it earning 2 or 3 stars over the past three years. In 2025–2026, Ansonville posted strong results, including 72.7% proficiency in 4th grade math and 66.7% in 4th grade reading, far exceeding the district averages of 46.3% and 44.8%. By contrast, Wadesboro Primary is a serious concern: 53.9% of its students were chronically absent in 2024–2025—more than double the state average—and only 29% of its 3rd graders were proficient in reading, versus 43.7% in the district and 55.6% statewide. Wadesboro's most recent state ranking, from 2016–2017, placed it in the bottom 2% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Spending and class size do not explain the gaps, since Wadesboro Primary actually has the lower student-teacher ratio (12.8 versus 14.6) while both schools spend around $12,400–$12,900 per student. Ansonville Elementary's results, however, are volatile: its 3rd grade math proficiency plunged from 82.8% to 40% in one year, and 5th grade reading was just 25% in 2025–2026 even as 3rd grade reading reached 60%. With only 158 students, a single small cohort can dramatically swing Ansonville's percentages, so year-to-year figures should be read cautiously. Reading remains the biggest academic weakness across both schools, but Ansonville Elementary currently offers more bright spots, while Wadesboro Primary needs the most urgent support around attendance and early literacy.