Summary:
ZIP code 28315 (Aberdeen, NC) contains three public schools serving approximately 1,774 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade: two elementary schools and one middle school, with no high schools or alternative schools reported in the area. The two district operators are Moore County Schools, a 4-star district ranked in the 74th percentile of North Carolina districts, and The Academy of Moore County, a 5-star district ranked 14th among 246 districts statewide.
The standout academically is The Academy of Moore County, ranking in the 90th percentile of elementary schools and far exceeding state averages in math, reading, and science by 15–23 percentage points. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 7.7%, and it earned 4 or 5 stars in recent years. Southern Middle is a solid 3-star middle school performing above state averages in reading and science, despite nearly 99% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch; its 8th grade science proficiency reaches 80.9%. By contrast, Aberdeen Elementary holds a 1-star rating, ranks in the 21st percentile, and trails state averages by 10–18 points in all tested subjects, with a 37.4% chronic absenteeism rate—the highest in the ZIP code.
Chronic absenteeism strongly aligns with achievement: the lowest absenteeism is at The Academy (7.7%), and the highest is at Aberdeen (37.4%), where only 35.6% of 3rd graders are proficient in math versus 89.6% at The Academy. High poverty does not automatically mean low performance—Southern Middle outperforms the state in most reading and science categories despite 98.9% free/reduced lunch eligibility. Science is a relative strength at all three schools, though math declines by grade at Southern Middle, and 8th grade math falls below the state average. Families in this ZIP code should note that no high school option exists here, making feeder patterns beyond 8th grade an important consideration.
Thank you for your feedback!