Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28311

Zip code 28311 in Fayetteville, NC is served by four elementary schools — Long Hill Elementary, Howard L Hall Elementary, College Lakes Elementary, and Warrenwood Elementary — which together serve about 1,834 students in grades ranging from pre-K through 5th grade, all within Cumberland County Schools. Despite very similar student populations, 2025-26 results reveal a dramatic divide: Long Hill Elementary and Howard L Hall Elementary perform at or above the state average, while College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary rank near the bottom of North Carolina's elementary schools.

Long Hill Elementary is the clear standout, ranking in the 74th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating and averaging about 69.2% proficiency across seven EOG tests, with math especially strong at 75.0% across grades 3–5. Howard L Hall Elementary is nearly as strong, sitting in the 66th percentile with 65.8% average proficiency and beating the Cumberland County Schools district average on every reported 2025-26 EOG subject. Both schools serve the highest poverty populations in the zip code, at roughly 99% free/reduced lunch eligibility. College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary, in contrast, are at the 13th percentile, with average EOG proficiency of just 43.6% and 43.8%. The gap is already visible by third grade: about 59% of third graders at Long Hill Elementary and Howard L Hall Elementary read proficiently, versus only 32–36% at College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary.

Chronic absenteeism shows the clearest pattern separating the two groups. Long Hill Elementary and Howard L Hall Elementary report rates around 18–19%, well below the statewide average of 24.2%, while College Lakes Elementary and Warrenwood Elementary are at 32.6% and 35.4% — near or above the Cumberland County Schools district average of 33.7%. More spending and smaller classes also do not explain the differences: Warrenwood Elementary spends the most per student ($11,031), and College Lakes Elementary has the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.3) while spending $10,387 per student, yet both lag far behind Long Hill Elementary, which produces the best results while spending the least ($8,174). For parents comparing nearby schools, attendance and early literacy are the factors that most clearly separate the two bright spots from the two schools that are struggling.