Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28433

Zip code 28433, located in the Clarkton area of Bladen County, North Carolina, is home to just one school: Clarkton School of Discovery, a small middle school serving grades 5 through 8 with an enrollment of 147 students, operating within Bladen County Schools. Because there are no other schools in this zip code, the most useful comparisons are against the district and North Carolina state averages.

Clarkton School of Discovery stands out as the only school in 28433 and serves as a relative bright spot within Bladen County Schools. The school holds a 2-star state ranking, placing it in the 36th–45th percentile of North Carolina middle schools over the past three years, while the district overall receives just 1 star and ranks in the 19th percentile. Approximately 98% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-to-teacher ratio is a favorable 12.2:1, allowing for more individualized instruction. Math is a clear strength: proficiency rates range from 42.3% in 8th grade to 73.1% in 6th grade, far exceeding district averages in every grade tested (e.g., 73.1% vs. 35.4% in 6th grade). Science scores are also solid, with 8th grade science at 65.4% compared to 49.8% for the district.

Reading is the school's biggest academic challenge. Across grades 5 through 8, reading proficiency averages roughly 41%, well below the state average of about 56%, with the lowest proficiency in 7th grade at just 32.1%. Chronic absenteeism is another concern: 32.7% of students are chronically absent, above both the district rate of 31.4% and the state rate of 24.2%. Given the small enrollment of roughly 150 students, test scores can swing substantially from year to year as different cohorts move through the grades, which explains jumps and drops in subjects like math and science. Overall, Clarkton School of Discovery demonstrates that strong academic results are possible in a high-poverty setting, particularly in math and science, but literacy support and attendance interventions represent the most promising opportunities for improvement.