Summary:
Middle schools in zip code 28443, which covers the Hampstead, North Carolina, coastal area, include two public campuses—Topsail Middle and Surf City Middle—both operated by Pender County Schools. Topsail Middle serves grades 5 through 8 with 837 students, while Surf City Middle serves grades 6 through 8 with 752 students. Both earn 4-star state ratings and rank in the low 80th percentile statewide: Topsail sits at 143rd of 778 middle schools, just ahead of Surf City at 145th.
Looking at the grades they share (6 through 8), these two schools have opposite strengths. Topsail Middle is the stronger reading school, with 68.2% proficiency, while Surf City Middle has the math advantage at 71.9% proficiency versus Topsail's 68.4%. Science is excellent at both schools; 8th grade proficiency reaches 80.9% at Topsail and 82.9% at Surf City, far above the 68.6% state average. Attendance is the clearest difference between them: 20.1% of Topsail students are chronically absent, below the state's 24.2% average, while Surf City's chronic absenteeism rate is a much higher 30.8%.
These are academically similar schools serving comparable student populations, with about 20% of students at each qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, so poverty alone does not explain the gaps. One shared concern is that math proficiency declines as students move through middle school, dropping roughly 18 points from 5th to 8th grade at Topsail. Surf City recently posted an impressive 16-point jump in 8th grade science, suggesting practices worth studying, and it keeps pace in math despite its attendance challenges. Topsail also spends about $1,500 more per student than Surf City, yet Surf City matches or exceeds it in some subjects, raising questions about resource allocation. For parents, both schools are strong choices: Topsail stands out for reading, science, and attendance, while Surf City is the pick for math.
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