Summary:
Zip code 28204 is served by two schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, covering grades K–8 and offering no high school options within the immediate zip code. Piedmont Middle School serves grades 6–8 with about 1,108 students, while Elizabeth Traditional Elementary serves grades K–5 with roughly 409 students.
Piedmont Middle is the clear academic standout, ranking in the top 12% of North Carolina middle schools for three consecutive years and earning a 4-star rating in 2025–2026. It outperforms both district and state averages in every tested grade and subject, with especially dramatic results in 8th grade math (85% proficient vs. 53% statewide) and 8th grade science (89.5% proficient). Elizabeth Traditional Elementary is a higher-poverty school, with 99.27% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, yet it still beats district and state averages in several areas, including 5th grade science and 3rd grade reading. However, its grade-level performance swings widely; 4th grade reading dropped from 71% to 53.4% between the last two school years, while 5th grade science improved from 74.3% to 82.1%.
One of the most striking findings is that Elizabeth has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 15.1%, far below the district’s 26.8% and the state’s 24.2% — a strong sign of engagement despite economic challenges. It also spends more per student ($9,777 vs. $7,641 at Piedmont) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (14.2 vs. 20.2), which may support more individualized attention. Piedmont, meanwhile, maintains a consistently high performance level with far fewer economic disadvantages (46.48% free/reduced lunch). Families in 28204 should note that while both schools offer notable strengths, the lack of a high school means they will need to look beyond this zip code for grades 9–12.
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