Schools in Zip Code 28214

ZIP code 28214 in Charlotte, NC is served by 11 schools—5 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high, and 1 alternative K-12—enrolling roughly 7,050 students in a high-poverty area. Nine of the schools belong to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, a 3-star district ranked 105th of 246 in North Carolina, and every one of its campuses that reports lunch data is above 99% free/reduced-price eligible. The remaining two are East Voyager Academy of Charlotte, a charter school, and Jackson Day School, which operates as its own alternative-school district.

Paw Creek Elementary is the clear standout: a 4-star school in the 86th percentile statewide, with 90.2% 3rd grade math proficiency, 87.9% 5th grade science, and the lowest chronic absenteeism (17.9%) among district schools here despite 99.6% poverty. Coulwood STEM Academy leads the middle schools in the 66th percentile, posting 8th grade science scores 13 points above the state. Tuckaseegee Elementary is a steady 3-star school in the 58th percentile that beats state averages in math and science. West Mecklenburg High School has climbed from the 5th to the 16th percentile in two years, with Biology proficiency more than doubling to 34.7%. Jackson Day School, an alternative school with a specialized population, posts strong scores like 80% 3rd grade math and is best judged on its own terms.

Reading is the region's biggest academic weakness, trailing math at nearly every school. Chronic absenteeism is another concern: 9 of 11 schools exceed the 24.2% state rate, including Wilson STEM Academy at 52.4% and Turning Point Academy at 61.1%. The two STEM-labeled middle schools show how much variation exists—one ranks in the 66th percentile while the other sits in the 14th. There are signs of progress, though: River Oaks Academy jumped from the 6th to the 23rd percentile in one year. High poverty does not dictate outcomes in this ZIP; the success of Paw Creek Elementary and Coulwood STEM Academy proves strong results are possible. The urgent priorities are literacy, attendance, and closing the wide gap between the area's strongest and weakest schools.