Summary:
There is just one middle school in zip code 28337: Elizabethtown Middle, serving grades 5 through 8 in Elizabethtown, NC, as part of Bladen County Schools. This is a very high-poverty school—over 95% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch—and chronic absenteeism affects nearly two out of five students (39.2%), well above both the district rate of 31.4% and the state rate of 24.2%. The school has received a 0-star rating and ranks in the bottom 10% of North Carolina middle schools, at the 9th percentile statewide.
Academically, Elizabethtown Middle trails district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade. Math proficiency is particularly troubling, ranging from 29.3% in 7th grade to 33.7% in 6th grade, compared to state averages above 56%. Reading is somewhat stronger, and 7th grade reading proficiency (38.7%) actually exceeds the district average (38.2%), though it remains far below the state's 56.3%. The school's best subject is science: 5th grade science is at 44.4% proficient and 8th grade science at 48.4%, coming close to the district average. Even so, these scores are all significantly below state levels.
There are some encouraging year-over-year signs. From the 2024–2025 to 2025–2026 school years, 7th grade math jumped from 11.4% to 29.3% proficient, and 5th grade science rose from 26.5% to 44.4%. However, 5th grade math fell sharply from 50% to 33.3%, showing instability. The school's state rank has edged up from the 7th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 9th percentile now, but it remains in the bottom decile. Parents should know that while the school faces severe challenges linked to poverty and absenteeism, targeted improvements in math and science and a stronger reading result in 7th grade offer a foundation to build on.
Thank you for your feedback!