Best High Schools in Zip Code 28345

Zip code 28345 in Hamlet, North Carolina contains one high school, Richmond Early College High, serving grades 9 through 12 with 294 students in the Richmond County Schools district.

Richmond Early College High is an extraordinary school that stands out sharply from its surrounding district. While Richmond County Schools holds only a 1-star rating and ranks in the bottom quarter of North Carolina districts, this school ranks 14th out of 662 high schools statewide (98th percentile, 5-star rating) for 2025–2026. It has earned a 5-star rating for three consecutive years, improving its rank from 26th to 14th. Nearly 99% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school posts near-perfect test scores: in the most recent year, proficiency rates hit 98.6% in Biology, 100% in English II, 94.1% in Math I, and 99.9% in Math III — outperforming state averages by 31 to 52 percentage points and district averages by 51 to 61 points in every subject.

This school also defies expectations on staffing and funding. Its student-teacher ratio is exceptionally high at 37.8, far above typical averages, and per-student spending is only $6,338 — well below the national average of over $12,000. Despite these constraints, the school achieves results that would be remarkable for any school, let alone one with such high poverty and limited resources. The learning model appears highly effective, possibly relying on college courses, independent study, or other nontraditional structures not captured by traditional staffing metrics. The sustained excellence over three years — with English II at 100% proficiency in both recent test years — shows this is not a one-year fluke but a consistent pattern of success.

For parents considering this area, Richmond Early College High offers a powerful example of what is possible when a school combines a rigorous early college model with strong support for economically disadvantaged students. While the surrounding district struggles overall, this single high school has become one of the top-performing schools in North Carolina. Any parent in zip code 28345 should view this school as a rare opportunity for high academic achievement, especially for students motivated to earn college credit while completing high school.