Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28339

ZIP code 28339 contains one elementary school: Erwin Elementary, a public PK-5 school serving 637 students in the Harnett County Schools district. With nearly 98% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Erwin Elementary serves an extremely high-poverty population, which provides important context for understanding its test scores. While this ZIP code has just one elementary school, meaningful comparisons can still be made against district and state averages.

Erwin Elementary has shown real momentum in recent years. The school's state ranking improved from the 6th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 20th percentile in 2025–2026, and it earned a 1-star rating after two years with 0 stars. Academically, the school improved in six of seven tested subject/grade combinations from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. Most notably, 3rd grade reading jumped from 27.1% to 49.5% proficient, 5th grade science rose from 36.9% to 53.2%, and 3rd grade math increased from 41.7% to 57.7%. However, Erwin Elementary still trails both Harnett County Schools and the state in every tested subject. The biggest concern is 4th grade reading, where only 33.0% of students are proficient—15.7 points below the district and roughly 25 points below the state—and this was the only area that did not improve year over year.

Chronic absenteeism at Erwin Elementary sits at 24.0%, which is better than the district average of 26.9% and roughly in line with the state average of 24.2%. Still, about one in four students is chronically absent, which can hinder academic progress. The school maintains a favorable 14.6 to 1 student–teacher ratio, which is a positive for a school serving so many high-need students. While the district itself trails state averages across all subjects, Erwin Elementary is beginning to narrow the gap internally. The large gains—particularly in early literacy—suggest that instructional interventions may be taking hold. Sustaining this progress as students move into upper elementary grades will be critical, as will targeted support for reading proficiency in 4th grade. For parents, Erwin Elementary remains a school in transition: it is still low-ranking by state standards, but the trend is clearly moving in the right direction.