Summary:
ZIP code 28442 contains only one public school, Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary, a high-poverty elementary school serving grades PK–6 in Columbus County Schools, which leaves area families without a local middle or high school option. The school enrolls 394 students, with a free/reduced lunch rate of 98.2%, and the district itself ranks in the 28th percentile statewide with a 1-star rating—yet Hallsboro-Artesia has earned 2 stars in each of the last three reported school years, most recently sitting at the 32nd percentile statewide.
Academically, reading is a relative strength: the school beats its district average in every grade tested, and grades 3 and 5 reading scores are within a few points of the North Carolina average. Science is the standout subject, with 5th grade proficiency at 70.8%—well above the district (54.6%) and even above the state (67.7%). Math tells a different story, however. While 3rd grade math is only 5 points below the state, the gap widens sharply by 6th grade, where only 35.3% of students score proficient compared to the 59.2% state average. This suggests upper-elementary math is the school's biggest academic challenge, and the slide worsens as students age through the building.
Despite its high-poverty population, the school reports a chronic absenteeism rate of 20.1%, which is significantly better than the district's 29.3% and the state's 24.2%. There have also been encouraging year-over-year gains: the 5th grade class jumped 23.2 percentage points in math and 14.4 points in reading between the most recent two school years, and the same cohort continued improving as they moved into 6th grade. For parents, this school delivers solid reading instruction, excellent science results, and strong attendance, but families should plan for math support in upper grades and expect to look beyond 28442 for middle and high school attendance.
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