Best High Schools in Zip Code 28320

ZIP code 28320 encompasses the Bladenboro area of North Carolina, where the only high school is West Bladen High, serving grades 9 through 12 with 720 students as part of Bladen County Schools, a district ranked 200 out of 246 North Carolina districts.

West Bladen High serves an almost entirely economically disadvantaged population—99.58% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's graduation rate of 93.2% is a bright spot, topping the district average of 92.0% and the state average of 88.8%. Chronic absenteeism, however, is a serious concern: 42.0% of students were chronically absent, nearly double the state average of 24.2% and well above the district's 31.4%. On End-of-Course exams, West Bladen trails the state in every subject. Math III is the strongest subject at 60.9% proficiency, followed by Biology at 42.9%, English II at 41.1%, and Math I at 28.9%. State averages range from 42.1% in Math I to 64.6% in English II, so the widest gap is in English II at 23.5 points. Encouragingly, Math I improved by 10.5 points year over year, while English II fell sharply by 7.3 points.

Statewide, West Bladen High's ranking has slipped from the 45th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 21st percentile in 2025–2026, falling behind even as some test scores improved. The contrast between a strong graduation rate and below-average proficiency suggests many students are completing high school despite struggles with grade-level academic benchmarks. Because roughly 42% of students are chronically absent, improving attendance could be a powerful strategy for raising achievement. The school also faces resource pressures, with a student–teacher ratio of 22.7 and per-student spending of $10,409. For parents, the overall picture is mixed: the school graduates students at a healthy rate and shows promise in Math III and in Math I's recent growth, but chronic absenteeism, low test proficiency, and a declining ranking warrant close attention.