Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28357

The 28357 zip code area is home to two schools - Sandy Grove Middle School and Sandy Grove Elementary School, both serving students in the Hoke County Schools district. These schools face significant challenges, with extremely high poverty levels and underperforming academic results compared to state averages.

Both Sandy Grove Middle and Sandy Grove Elementary have over 99% of their students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a very high-poverty student population. This is reflected in their low statewide rankings, with Sandy Grove Middle ranked in the bottom 20% of middle schools and Sandy Grove Elementary in the bottom 50% of elementary schools in North Carolina. The schools' test scores on state assessments are also generally below the Hoke County and state averages, particularly in reading, where only 39-40% of students scored proficient or better compared to 51-52% statewide.

Despite the challenges, there are some differences between the two schools. Sandy Grove Middle has a higher student enrollment of 625 students, compared to 561 students at Sandy Grove Elementary. The student-teacher ratios also vary, with Sandy Grove Middle at 19.7 students per teacher and Sandy Grove Elementary at 13.2 students per teacher. Additionally, the per-student spending amounts differ, with Sandy Grove Elementary receiving $9,694 per student compared to $7,541 per student at Sandy Grove Middle, potentially indicating funding disparities that may contribute to the performance gaps.