Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28327

In ZIP code 28327, parents have two elementary school options in Carthage, NC — Sandhills Farm Life Elementary (grades K–5) and Carthage Elementary (grades PK–5) — both part of Moore County Schools and serving roughly 729 students total. While these two schools have very different student populations, both earned 4-star ratings and performed above the state average in most subjects, making the area a solid choice for elementary education. The biggest difference is economic: at Sandhills Farm Life, only about 28% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, while Carthage Elementary sits at an unusually high 99% — yet academic outcomes are far closer than that gap suggests.

Sandhills Farm Life is the benchmark school academically, ranking in the 86th percentile statewide (206th of 1,492) in 2025–26 with a combined Math/Reading/Science proficiency average near 75%. It excels in 5th-grade Science (83.9% proficient), has very low chronic absenteeism at just 11%, and outperforms district and state averages in every tested grade and subject. Carthage Elementary, by contrast, is the area’s standout improver: over three years it jumped from the 57th to the 77th percentile, and in 2025–26 it beat the district average in 6 of 7 test categories despite its high poverty rate. Carthage now places at 345th statewide, putting the ranking gap between the two schools at just 9 percentile points, down from 33 points in 2023–24. Its 3rd-grade Math (85.2% proficient) and Reading (70.4%) are particularly impressive.

For parents, the practical takeaway is that both schools are delivering strong results, though in different ways. Sandhills Farm Life combines low poverty, low absenteeism, and consistently high scores — a model of stability. Carthage Elementary is the high-poverty school that is beating expectations and climbing quickly, with a lower student-teacher ratio (15.5 vs. 16.8) and higher per-pupil spending ($11,202 vs. $8,014). The clearest area needing attention at both schools is 4th-grade Math, where Carthage falls below the district average and Sandhills Farm Life saw a recent dip. Also, while chronic absenteeism is not a crisis at either school, Carthage’s 17.5% rate is still a full 6 points higher than Sandhills Farm Life’s, suggesting room to improve. Overall, parents in 28327 have two solid, above-average elementary schools, with Carthage proving that high-poverty schools can achieve at high levels.