Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28422

Zip code 28422, which covers the Bolivia, NC area, contains four public schools serving roughly 1,793 students: three elementary schools (Virginia Williamson Elementary, Classical Charter Schools of Southport, and Bolivia Elementary) plus one secondary school, The COAST, which serves grades 6–12. There is no standalone traditional middle school in the zip code. Three of the four schools belong to Brunswick County Schools, which ranks 86th of 246 districts in North Carolina, while Classical Charter Schools of Southport is its own charter district and ranks a much stronger 19th of 246 districts.

Classical Charter Schools of Southport is the clear academic standout, posting a top 20% state ranking and beating the state average in nearly every grade and subject tested, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (16.7%) in the group and no reported free-and-reduced-lunch population. In contrast, Virginia Williamson Elementary is the strongest traditional school, ranking in the 51st percentile and beating the state in 3rd-grade math, 3rd-grade reading, and 5th-grade science despite serving a 99.5% free-and-reduced-lunch population. Bolivia Elementary serves a nearly identical high-poverty population (99.4%) yet ranks lower at the 39th percentile and trails the state in most math and reading subjects. The COAST, a very small high-need school of 96 students with a 5.3:1 student-teacher ratio, still struggles overall but showed dramatic improvement in English II and Math I, which now exceed state averages.

Two big takeaways stand out for parents. First, high poverty alone does not explain performance differences: Virginia Williamson and Bolivia serve nearly identical disadvantaged populations, yet Virginia Williamson beats Bolivia by wide margins in math and reading, and its slightly lower chronic absenteeism (22.2% versus 24.9%) may be a factor. Second, resources do not neatly align with results — The COAST spends the most per pupil ($25,746) and has the smallest classes, yet has the lowest outcomes and a 51.8% chronic absenteeism rate, while Classical Charter achieves top results with a much larger 24:1 student-teacher ratio. Interestingly, both high-poverty elementary schools excel in 5th-grade science (72.7% and 72.9% versus 67.7% statewide), suggesting that science instruction is a relative strength in this area.