Schools in Zip Code 28301

Zip code 28301 in Fayetteville contains 15 schools serving roughly 5,980 students from elementary through Grade 12, including six elementary schools, two middle schools, six high-school classified schools, and one K-12 alternative/charter academy, in a very high-poverty area where about 91% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. Most schools belong to Cumberland County Schools, which ranks 141 of 246 North Carolina districts (2 stars), while The Capitol Encore Academy is a K-12 charter with its own district. This ZIP code shows stark contrasts, from top-5% high schools to bottom-5% schools within the same district.

The standout schools are the early colleges. Cross Creek Early College and Cumberland International Early College both rank in the 92nd percentile statewide (5 stars), far above every other school in 28301, with 86-98% proficiency on most end-of-course exams and much lower chronic absenteeism. J W Seabrook Elementary is the only elementary school above the 50th percentile (69th percentile, 3 stars), posting above-state scores in 3rd grade math and reading despite a 98.9% poverty rate. Reid Ross Classical Middle is the strongest middle school (71st percentile, 4 stars), beating state averages in 7th and 8th grade math and reading, while Reid Ross Classical High is the best traditional high school (66th percentile) with strong English II proficiency.

The biggest issue across the area is chronic absenteeism, averaging about 36% — above the district rate of 33.7% and well above the state rate of 24.2%. Ramsey Street High (75.7%), Luther Nick Jeralds Middle (58.3%), and E E Smith High (44.5%) have the most severe attendance problems and some of the lowest test scores. Math I is the weakest subject at comprehensive high schools, with most at or below the 42.1% state average. High poverty does not automatically mean low performance: Seabrook Elementary and Reid Ross Classical Middle succeed with 97-99% poverty rates, and Ferguson-Easley Elementary made dramatic 5th-grade gains in math and science. Attendance is the clearest factor separating the strongest schools from the weakest.