Schools in Zip Code 28366

Zip code 28366 in Newton Grove, North Carolina, is served by four public schools in the Sampson County Schools district—Midway High, Hobbton High, Hobbton Elementary, and Hobbton Middle—which together enroll about 2,074 students in grades K-12. All four schools serve very high-poverty populations, with free or reduced-price lunch eligibility between roughly 96% and 99.4%, and the district as a whole ranks 134th out of 246 in North Carolina.

The standout schools are Midway High and Hobbton Elementary. Midway High ranks in the 65th percentile of North Carolina high schools and is the only high school in the zip code to outperform state averages on all four End-of-Course tests, including an impressive 91.5% proficiency rate in Math III. Its graduation rate is 90.2%, and it has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate locally at 15.8%. Hobbton Elementary earns 4 stars, placing it in the 76th percentile of elementary schools, with math scores far exceeding state averages in every grade tested. Hobbton Middle has shown the clearest improvement, rising from the 19th to the 41st percentile over three years. Hobbton High is the most concerning school—its rank has fallen from the 43rd to the 27th percentile, and every EOC subject is now below district and state averages.

The contrast between the two high schools is the most striking finding. Midway High exceeds Hobbton High by 16 to 24 percentage points in every EOC subject, and it also posts a better graduation rate and less than two-thirds the chronic absenteeism of its counterpart. Three of the four schools have chronic absenteeism rates above the state average of 24.2%, yet Hobbton Elementary still achieves strong math results despite having the highest absenteeism rate in the zip code. Math is a consistent strength across the best-performing schools, while reading skills are a more common weakness. With its sharp downward trend and low results across every measure, Hobbton High should be the top priority for parents and district leaders in zip code 28366.