Summary:
ZIP code 28359 (Pembroke, NC) has just one school, CIS Academy, a middle school serving grades 6 through 8 with 114 students. The school operates under the CIS Academy district, though it functions effectively as its own district in the data. Because no other schools exist in the ZIP code, meaningful comparisons must use North Carolina state averages rather than local schools.
CIS Academy has remained in the lower-middle range of North Carolina schools over the past three years, holding a steady 2-star rating with state ranks of 525, 511, and 551 from the 2023-24 through 2025-26 school years. The school's student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.3-to-1, and 61.4 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a majority economically disadvantaged population. Chronic absenteeism sits at 24.3 percent, essentially matching the state rate of 24.2 percent.
Performance varies dramatically by grade level. The 8th grade is a clear bright spot: 8th-grade math proficiency reached 54.8 percent in 2025-26, slightly above the state's 53.0 percent, and 8th-grade reading jumped 17.1 percentage points to 58.1 percent, above the state's 56.1 percent. Eighth-grade science improved to 58.1 percent but still trails the state by 10.5 points. The 6th grade is the biggest concern, with math proficiency falling to 29.6 percent versus the state's 59.2 percent and reading falling to 33.3 percent versus the state's 54.8 percent. Given that only 114 students are spread across three grades, year-to-year swings can be driven by just a few students. Families should also note that the ZIP code has no elementary or high school options, making CIS Academy the only middle-grades pathway in the immediate area.
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