Summary:
ZIP code 28372 is home to just one middle school — Pembroke Middle — which serves 645 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Public Schools of Robeson County in rural southeastern North Carolina. The school operates under significant economic disadvantage, with 99.53% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 54.9% — more than double the state's 24.2% and well above the district's 42.1%. With a 17:1 student-teacher ratio, Pembroke Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom 13% of North Carolina middle schools and currently holds a 1-star rating.
Despite these challenges, recent test results show genuine momentum. Eighth-grade science is the clear bright spot, jumping from 34.4% to 50.6% proficient, matching the district average and approaching the state's 68.6%. Sixth-grade reading climbed 14.8 points to 38.6%, and 7th-grade math rose 10.8 points to 38.2%; both now beat district averages. Seventh-grade reading also improved, reaching 36.5%. The major exception is 8th-grade reading, which dipped to 25.8% — the school's lowest score and far below the state's 56.1%.
Pembroke Middle still trails statewide averages in every subject, but it met or beat its district in five of seven tested areas in 2025–2026. That pattern makes sense given that the Public Schools of Robeson County itself ranks 190th out of 246 North Carolina districts, so the school performs moderately within a low-performing district, not relative to statewide standards. For parents, the key takeaway is a school making real academic progress in most subjects — especially 8th-grade science, 6th-grade reading, and 7th-grade math — with chronic absenteeism and 8th-grade reading proficiency representing the biggest obstacles to further improvement.
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