Schools in Zip Code 28369

Schools in ZIP code 28369 consist of just one school, Orrum Middle, a public middle school serving grades 5 through 8 in the Public Schools of Robeson County district. Orrum Middle enrolls 294 students, and the student body faces deep economic challenges: nearly 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with 43.7% of students chronically absent, far above North Carolina's state average of 24.2%. Per-student spending is around $10,974, though that figure comes from 2018-2019 data.

Academically, Orrum Middle remains one of the lowest-ranked middle schools in the state. In the 2025-2026 school year, it ranked in the 6th percentile of North Carolina middle schools and received a 0-star rating, consistent with its standing over the past three years. The school trails its district in most subjects and grade levels. For example, in 5th grade math, only 31.6% of Orrum students are proficient compared to 45.8% in the district and 62.9% statewide. The gap widens by 8th grade, where just 16.3% of students are proficient in math. Reading scores are also low, with 8th grade proficiency at 25.0% versus the state rate of 56.1%. Science is a relative bright spot: 5th grade science proficiency is 42.1% and 8th grade science is 32.5%, though both remain well below state averages.

There are hopeful signs in the most recent year-over-year data. Between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, Orrum Middle posted large gains in 6th grade math (+13.1 percentage points), 5th grade science (+13.1), 7th grade reading (+9.1), and 8th grade science (+9.1). The only subject where the school beats its district average is 6th grade math, where 42.4% of students are proficient, slightly above the district's 40.1% but still far below the state's 59.2%. In general, lower grade levels outperform 8th grade, and the school faces substantial obstacles from poverty and absenteeism. Still, these meaningful one-year improvements suggest targeted academic interventions may be gaining traction even as the school remains in the bottom tier of statewide rankings.