Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28405

Zip code 28405 in Wilmington, NC contains four public elementary schools within the New Hanover County Schools district: Dr. Hubert Eaton Senior Elementary, John J. Blair Elementary, A.H. Snipes Academy of Arts/Design, and R. Freeman School of Engineering — enrolling roughly 1,495 students in grades K–5, with Blair also serving pre-K. This small zip code captures a stark two-tier achievement divide: Eaton is a five-star school ranking in the 93rd percentile statewide, while Freeman ranks dead last among North Carolina elementary schools.

Eaton is the standout performer in nearly every metric, with a 30.4% free/reduced lunch rate, 11.6% chronic absenteeism, and composite EOG proficiency around 82.5% — about 17 points above the district average and 21 points above the state. Blair, the second-best school here, serves 99.1% economically disadvantaged students but keeps chronic absenteeism at just 15.8%; it posts a composite proficiency of 52.1%, below district and state levels yet far ahead of the other two high-poverty schools. Snipes lags at 33.5% proficiency, with chronic absenteeism at 32.4%, and has slipped into the bottom 5% of the state. Freeman is the most struggling school despite having the highest per-student spending ($16,676) and the lowest student–teacher ratio (10.8); its proficiency sits near 18%, with 3rd grade reading at just 9.6% and 3rd grade math at 13.5%.

A key takeaway for parents is that concentrated poverty and chronic absenteeism track closely with performance across these four schools. Eaton, the only school with a relatively low poverty rate, far outpaces the others; Blair, despite poverty nearly identical to Snipes and Freeman, does much better because its attendance is closer to state norms. Freeman and Snipes show signs that students fall further behind as they move through the grades — Snipes drops from 50% third-grade math proficiency to 25% in fourth grade. The district average for New Hanover County Schools hides extreme local inequality, so it is wise to evaluate each school individually. Higher spending and smaller class sizes at Freeman and Snipes have not translated into strong results, suggesting these schools need additional wraparound support, not just classroom resources, to help students succeed.