Summary:
ZIP code 28406 in Wilmington, NC contains just one school, Wilmington School of the Arts, a K–7 arts-themed school with 297 students that serves as both the area's elementary and middle-grade option since no middle or high schools exist in the ZIP code. The school operates under its own namesake district, Wilmington School of the Arts, and holds a 3-star SchoolDigger rating, ranking 553rd of 1,492 North Carolina schools (63rd percentile), up from the 51st percentile the prior year. About 58% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet chronic absenteeism is just 18.0% versus the state's 24.2%.
Reading is the school's clearest strength. In 2025–2026, reading proficiency topped North Carolina averages in four of five tested grades, averaging 65.7% across grades 3–7 versus 55.9% statewide. The standout was 4th grade, with 72.3% proficient versus 57.7% statewide. Math is more uneven: the school exceeded the state only in 4th grade (66.0% vs. 61.4%), and the largest gap came in 5th grade, at 51.2% versus 62.9% statewide; across tested grades, math averaged 57.0% versus 61.2% statewide. In science, 5th-grade proficiency jumped from 36.4% to 63.4% in one year, nearly closing the gap with the state's 67.7%.
State ranking improved from the 51st to the 63rd percentile, and its district ranks 80th of 246 in North Carolina. Because enrollment is only 297 across K–7, grade cohorts are small, which likely explains swings such as 7th-grade reading dropping from 80% to 54.5% proficiency; single-year changes should be interpreted with caution. Overall, Wilmington School of the Arts combines strong reading outcomes with a majority low-income population, improving math and science scores, and lower-than-average chronic absenteeism, making it a solid, improving choice for elementary and middle-grade families in 28406.
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