Summary:
In ZIP code 28358, there are 8 elementary schools serving grades PK-8, including seven traditional public schools in the Public Schools of Robeson County district and one public charter academy, Southeastern Academy, which serves a largely lower-income area in eastern North Carolina. Nearly all students in the traditional public schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the schools vary enormously in performance.
The strongest school by far is Southeastern Academy, a single-school district rated in the 95th percentile statewide, with 100% third-grade math proficiency, a chronic absenteeism rate of just 10.2%, and scores 30 to 40 points above state averages in several subjects. Among the traditional schools, East Robeson Primary stands out as the brightest spot: despite nearly 99.5% poverty, it exceeds North Carolina averages in both third-grade reading and math. By contrast, L Gilbert Carroll sits near the bottom of state rankings, with fifth-grade reading proficiency at just 25% and a 1st-percentile ranking in 2024–25. Meanwhile, W H Knuckles spends the most per pupil ($13,001) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio, yet posts some of the weakest reading scores — a reminder that resources alone do not guarantee results.
Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge among the traditional schools, ranging from 28.3% at Tanglewood Elementary to 46.2% at Long Branch Elementary, compared with a state average of 24.2%. The district’s overall 1-star rating masks real bright spots like East Robeson and also hides urgent struggles like L Gilbert Carroll. Across the board, early-grade reading has improved at several schools, but upper-elementary reading remains a systemic weakness, especially at Piney Grove Elementary and L Gilbert Carroll, suggesting that literacy gains in PK–3 are not always carrying through to grades 4–5.
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