Summary:
Zip code 28311 in Fayetteville, NC is served by 6 schools in the Cumberland County Schools district, including four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, together enrolling about 4,088 students. The district ranks in the 43rd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating. Families in this area will find a dramatic split in school quality: Long Hill Elementary and Howard L Hall Elementary perform well above state averages, while College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary rank in the 13th percentile despite serving similarly high-poverty populations. This means attendance boundaries can make the difference between a top-tier school and one that struggles.
Long Hill Elementary stands out as the highest-performing elementary school, ranking 74th percentile with 4 stars. Even though nearly all of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, it posts strong test scores—3rd grade math proficiency is 80.4% vs. the state's 66.4%—and has the lowest per-student spending among area elementary schools. Pine Forest High is the other bright spot, ranked 71st percentile and climbing steadily. Its math scores are exceptional: Math I proficiency is 70.7% vs. the state's 42.1%. However, the high school also has a 47.8% chronic absenteeism rate, nearly double the state average. Meanwhile, Pine Forest Middle excels in reading at all grade levels but trails the state in 7th-grade math by 14 points.
The two lowest-performing schools, College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary, actually have the smallest class sizes and the highest per-student spending in the area, yet they still produce the weakest academic results. Chronic absenteeism is also a serious issue at these schools, with rates around 33-35%. The clear takeaway for parents is to pay close attention to school boundaries—the same zip code offers both outstanding and struggling schools, and higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes.
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