Summary:
Zip code 28273 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is served by five elementary-level schools. Four belong to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: South Pine Academy, River Gate Elementary, Lake Wylie Elementary, and Steele Creek Elementary. The fifth, Unity Classical Charter School, is an independent charter serving grades K-8. Combined, the schools enroll about 3,544 students, and the four CMS schools all serve student populations where more than 99% qualify for free/reduced-price lunch.
River Gate Elementary is the top performer in the ZIP code. It earned a 4-star rating and ranked in the 70th percentile statewide in 2025-26, exceeding both CMS and state averages in nearly every Math and Reading subject tested, despite more than 99% of its students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Unity Classical Charter School also performs well overall, ranking in the 66th percentile with 3 stars. It has by far the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the area at 10%, and its 3rd grade scores are exceptional: 86% proficiency in Math and 78.1% in Reading. However, its scores decline sharply in later grades, with 5th grade Reading (49.5%) and Science (60.4%) falling below state averages.
Lake Wylie Elementary shows the strongest upward trend, improving from a 1-star school in 2023-24 to a 3-star school in 2025-26, and posting the highest 5th grade Science proficiency in the ZIP at 72.2%. Yet it also has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 31.8%. Steele Creek Elementary holds a 2-star rating with Math scores near state averages but Reading scores well below. South Pine Academy ranks lowest with a 1-star rating and 17th percentile placement, although it made meaningful gains in 2025-26, including 4th grade Math rising from 37.5% to 61.9% proficiency. Chronic absenteeism is above the state average at three of the five schools; only Unity Classical Charter School and River Gate Elementary fall below that threshold.
Thank you for your feedback!