Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28451

Zip code 28451, serving Leland in southeastern North Carolina, has five public schools enrolling 4,911 students across grades PK-12, including three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Four of the campuses belong to Brunswick County Schools, a district ranked 86th out of 246 statewide, while the fifth, the single-school charter district Classical Charter Schools of Leland, ranks higher at 54th.

Classical Charter Schools of Leland is the academic standout: it exceeds state reading averages at every tested grade level and runs 13 to 14 points above the state in 7th- and 8th-grade reading, all with a low 14.7% chronic absenteeism rate. Among the zoned public schools, Belville Elementary is the top performer at the 64th percentile, achieving the area's lowest chronic absenteeism (11.8%) along with strong 4th-grade math and 5th-grade science scores. In contrast, Lincoln Elementary serves a nearly identical student population (roughly 99.6% free/reduced lunch) yet ranks at only the 36th percentile and trails state averages in almost every subject — proof that a high-poverty enrollment does not automatically produce low results. North Brunswick High posts an 89.7% graduation rate, surpasses state averages in Biology and Math III, and raised its average proficiency by 9.5 points in one year.

Leland Middle is the area's most improved school, climbing from the 30th to the 50th percentile in two years; its 8th-grade math, reading, and science scores now top state averages after one-year gains of 13 to 19 points, though 6th-grade results still trail the state. Chronic absenteeism increases at each grade level, from 11.8% at Belville Elementary to 21.9% at Leland Middle and 28.8% at North Brunswick High — the last figure notable given that high school's solid graduation outcomes. This zip code is academically polarized: its best campuses perform at or above state averages while others remain significantly behind, so parents should examine each school's results and improvement trends rather than rely on a single rating.