Summary:
ZIP code 28337 in the Elizabethtown, North Carolina, area contains five schools serving roughly 1,782 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, with most students facing significant economic disadvantage. Where data are reported, 95.4% to 98.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and every school with chronic absenteeism data exceeds the state's 24.2% rate, ranging from 26.8% to 39.2%.
Performance varies widely across the zip code. Emereau: Bladen is the strongest overall school, earning 3 stars and ranking at the 59th percentile of elementary schools statewide; its 3rd-grade math (87.9% proficient) and reading (80.3%) results far exceed state averages, though its middle-grades scores fall below state levels. Bladen Lakes Primary is the most improved school, jumping from the 15th to the 47th percentile in one year while exceeding state averages in 4th-grade math, 5th-grade math, and 5th-grade science. Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy, the only high school–level institution, posts strong 8th-grade math and science proficiency and a graduation rate matching the state average, though its small 199-student enrollment makes results volatile. At the bottom are Elizabethtown Primary and Elizabethtown Middle, both part of Bladen County Schools, which rank near the very bottom of their peer groups and do not reach state averages on any reported test subject.
The clearest pattern is a decline in upper elementary and middle grades: no school in the zip code matches the state average in 6th- or 7th-grade math or reading, and reading is the weakest subject area across almost every school and grade. Although high poverty and absenteeism are widespread, Emereau: Bladen and Bladen Lakes Primary demonstrate that above-state performance is achievable in this area, making the persistent struggles of Elizabethtown Primary and Elizabethtown Middle stand out even more.
Thank you for your feedback!