Schools in Zip Code 28278

Zip code 28278 contains six public schools serving about 5,973 students in the fast-growing southwestern portion of Charlotte: five elementary-level schools (including two K-8 campuses) and one high school. Five schools belong to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, while Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy is an independent school that operates as its own district/LEA. There are no standalone middle schools, so students at Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy and Berryhill School stay in the same building through eighth grade before moving to Palisades High School.

Winget Park Elementary and Palisades Park Elementary are the clear standouts. Winget Park is the area's top-ranked school at the 85th percentile statewide with 4 stars; Palisades Park is close behind at the 82nd percentile, also with 4 stars. Both post strong math and reading proficiency, with third-grade math near 87% at each school. The other three elementary/K-8 campuses — Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy (47th percentile), Berewick Elementary (34th percentile), and Berryhill School (22nd percentile) — all serve very high-poverty populations (97.9%, 99.6%, and 99.3%, respectively) and rank below the state median. Palisades High School is the zip code's only high school and holds steady around the 40th percentile, with Math I proficiency slightly above the state average but English II, Biology, and Math III below it.

Chronic absenteeism is mostly an elementary strength but a high school weakness: rates range from 14.1% at Winget Park to 25.3% at Berewick Elementary, while Palisades High posts 30.4%. Spending does not explain performance. Palisades Park Elementary spends the least per pupil ($8,645) yet performs well; Berryhill School spends the most ($12,434) and sits in the bottom quarter. Also notable: Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy has fallen from the 68th to the 47th percentile in just two years.