Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28433

At a glance

School

147

Students

Top rankedClarkton School of Discovery499^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

Zip code 28433 is home to just one middle school, Clarkton School of Discovery, serving grades 5 through 8 in the rural community of Clarkton, North Carolina, as part of the Bladen County Schools district. The school is notably small, with just 147 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2 to 1. It is also an extremely high-poverty school: nearly 98% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite those demographics, Clarkton School of Discovery has held a 2-star state rating for three consecutive years, placing it between the 36th and 45th percentile of North Carolina middle schools.

The Bladen County Schools district ranks in the bottom 20% of all North Carolina districts, yet Clarkton School of Discovery consistently outperforms its district average by wide margins. In 2025-2026, the school topped the district in 6th-grade math by a staggering 37.7 percentage points (73.1% vs. 35.4%), 8th-grade math by 23.3 points (42.3% vs. 19.0%), and 8th-grade science by 15.6 points (65.4% vs. 49.8%). Math is the school's strongest subject: proficiency in 5th grade (65.2%) and 6th grade (73.1%) both exceed the North Carolina state average. Science is also competitive, landing close to state marks. Reading, however, is the school's main weakness, as proficiency rates trailed the state by roughly 15 to 24 points in every grade level in 2025-2026.

Because the student body is so small, year-to-year test scores swing dramatically; a change of just a few students can shift proficiency rates by 10 points or more. Chronic absenteeism is a real concern, with 32.7% of students chronically absent in 2024-2025, compared with 31.4% for the district and 24.2% statewide. Still, given that nearly all of its students live in poverty, Clarkton School of Discovery shows meaningful signs of academic resilience. Small class sizes and a clear record of beating district-level results across most subjects suggest this school is doing something right, and improving attendance could unlock even further gains.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)				EOG Reading (2026)				EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clarkton School of Discovery	Public	5-8	10000 North College Street	Clarkton	28433	Bladen County	Bladen County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 647-6531	147	12	12.2	98.0%	46 (31.3%)	73 (49.7%)	14 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.5%)	37.9	499^th of 778 public middle schools	35.9%		46.6	422^nd of 773 public middle schools	45.4%	77	65.2	73.1	53.6	42.3	47.8	38.5	32.1	46.2	65.2	65.4	$10,569	$1,659	$8,910

Cities Near Zip Code 28433

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Clarkton	1.76 mi	1	350^th
Elizabethtown	6.77 mi	6	366^th
Bladenboro	8.64 mi	3	454^th
Dublin	10.11 mi	2	192^nd
Whiteville	10.79 mi	9	256^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.