Summary:
ZIP code 28323 in Bunnlevel, North Carolina, is served by just two public elementary schools in Harnett County Schools: Anderson Creek Primary (grades PK–2) and South Harnett Elementary (grades 3–5). Together they form one PK–5 pipeline, with no middle or high schools in the immediate area, meaning students move on to schools outside the ZIP code for grade 6 and beyond.
Both schools serve very high-poverty populations — over 97% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — but they differ in key ways. Anderson Creek Primary is the larger school with 553 students, and it stands out for its challenges: its chronic absenteeism rate is 29.6%, well above the state and district averages, and it spends $10,316 per student. South Harnett Elementary has 476 students, a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 23.5%, and spends $8,707 per student. Both have similar student-teacher ratios (about 14.5 to 14.2), so the spending difference likely reflects extra costs of serving younger students rather than smaller classes.
The most encouraging story is at South Harnett Elementary, which has shown steady academic improvement. Its state school ranking jumped from the 18th percentile to the 33rd percentile in two years, and its 3rd grade math and reading proficiency scores rose by more than 17 points in a single year. In 5th grade, South Harnett now outperforms its district average in math, reading, and science, while 3rd grade scores remain the weakest point — likely tied to the high absenteeism students experienced earlier at Anderson Creek Primary. Given that connection, improving early-grade attendance at Anderson Creek appears to be the most important next step for helping this entire PK–5 community continue its upward trend.
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