Summary:
ZIP code 28360 in Lumberton, North Carolina contains 3 public schools spanning grades PK-12 within the Public Schools of Robeson County, a district ranked 190 out of 246 in the state. The schools include Magnolia Elementary (PK-8, 779 students), Deep Branch Elementary (PK-6, 374 students), and PSRC Early College at RCC (9-12, 274 students). There is no standalone middle school here; Magnolia is the only school serving grades 7-8.
The academic standout is clearly PSRC Early College at RCC, which ranks in the 94th percentile of North Carolina high schools (37 out of 662) and posts remarkable End-of-Course scores: roughly 99% proficiency in English II, 96% in Biology, and 98% in Math III, far above district and state averages. In contrast, Magnolia Elementary is the stronger of the two elementary schools, ranking in the 34th percentile, with notable 8th grade results including 85.5% science proficiency, well above the state's 68.6%. Deep Branch Elementary ranks lowest, in the 21st percentile, but shows the most improvement, with 5th grade reading jumping from 9.8% to 36.5% proficiency and 3rd grade math reaching 67.8%, slightly above the state average.
Both elementary schools face severe poverty and attendance challenges: nearly all students qualify for free/reduced lunch (over 99%), and chronic absenteeism runs between 38.7% and 41.6%, well above the state's 24.2%. PSRC Early College at RCC, with only 41% free/reduced lunch, operates at an entirely different level, yet its higher student-teacher ratio (24.2 vs. roughly 16) and lower per-student spending ($8,192 vs. about $10,000) show that school model and selectivity matter greatly. While the elementary schools share similar demographics, Magnolia Elementary outperforms Deep Branch Elementary in most subjects, such as 5th grade science (64.0% vs. 30.2%). Overall, this ZIP code contains both some of the state's most challenged schools and one of its top high schools.
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