Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28326

Zip code 28326 in Cameron, North Carolina, is served by two public elementary schools: Johnsonville Elementary (grades PK–5) and Cameron Elementary (grades K–5). Although they share a zip code, these schools belong to different districts: Johnsonville Elementary is part of Harnett County Schools, while Cameron Elementary is part of Moore County Schools. Both schools serve very high-poverty populations, with nearly 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and both maintain nearly identical student-teacher ratios near 15.5 to 1.

The current standout in the zip code is Johnsonville Elementary. It earns a 4-star rating and ranks 433rd of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools, placing it in the 71st percentile. Cameron Elementary, by contrast, earns 3 stars and ranks 641st. Johnsonville Elementary scores above the state average on every grade-level EOG test in math, reading, and 5th-grade science, and its overall EOG proficiency jumped from 55.1% in 2024–2025 to 68.0% in 2025–2026 — a gain of nearly 13 points that lifted its rating from 2 to 4 stars. Cameron Elementary has been the more consistent school, holding a 3-star rating three years running, and it actually outscored Johnsonville Elementary in overall EOG performance in 2024–2025. Its current 5th-grade cohort stands out with math proficiency of 79.3% and science proficiency of 72.4%, both well above state averages.

Several other findings stand out. High poverty clearly does not prevent high achievement: both schools beat state averages on multiple tests despite near-universal free/reduced-price lunch eligibility. Attendance is a bigger concern at Cameron Elementary, where the chronic absenteeism rate of 29.8% is well above the state rate of 24.2% and far above the Moore County Schools district rate of 19.3%; Johnsonville Elementary's rate of 22.3% is below both. Science is a shared strength, with both schools exceeding the state's 67.7% proficiency rate in 5th-grade science. Cameron Elementary spends roughly $1,000 more per student, yet Johnsonville Elementary posts the stronger overall results. Finally, Cameron Elementary's much smaller enrollment of about 215 students makes its scores swing more year to year based on the abilities of a single grade cohort, whereas Johnsonville Elementary's enrollment of 489 offers a more stable comparison.