Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28456

Summary:

The 28456 zip code area is home to two elementary schools - Acme Delco Elementary and East Arcadia Elementary. Both schools serve economically disadvantaged communities, with extremely high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. However, the schools' academic performance is consistently low, with test scores well below state and district averages.

Acme Delco Elementary has 310 students and is ranked 1131 out of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools, while East Arcadia Elementary has just 75 students and is ranked 1401 out of 1490. Both schools are situated in low-performing districts, with Columbus County Schools ranked 177 out of 242 in the state and Bladen County Schools ranked 211 out of 242.

The data highlights significant disparities in academic performance between these schools and their state and district counterparts. For example, East Arcadia Elementary's 3rd grade math and reading proficiency rates are less than 20% of the state averages. Additionally, the large difference in per-student spending between the two schools ($10,358 for Acme Delco vs. $21,299 for East Arcadia) raises questions about resource allocation and whether funding is being directed to the schools and students who need it most.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)				EOG Reading (2025)				EOG Science (2025)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East Arcadia Elementary	Public	K-5	21451 NC Hwy 87 East	Riegelwood	28456	Bladen County	Bladen County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 247-4609	68	8	8.6	95.6%	6 (8.8%)	34 (50.0%)	18 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.9%)	1 (1.5%)	5 (7.4%)	11.5	1401^st of 1490 public elementary schools	6.0%		20.6	1275^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.3%	126	8.3	47.1	18.2		8.3	47.1	9.1		18.2	$21,299	$3,259	$18,039
Acme Delco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	16337 Old Lake Road	Riegelwood	28456	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 655-2957	349	22	16.2	99.1%	130 (37.2%)	96 (27.5%)	82 (23.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.3%)	5 (1.4%)	21 (6.0%)	27.2	1131^st of 1490 public elementary schools	24.1%		23	1230^th of 1505 public elementary schools	18.3%	99	47.5	38.1	32.6	27.5	40.0	50.0	52.2	37.3	60.9	$10,358	$1,643	$8,715

Cities Near Zip Code 28456

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Riegelwood	0.28 mi	2	444^th
Delco	3.69 mi	1
Leland	8.16 mi	5	203^rd
Lake Waccamaw	13.94 mi	2	449^th
Burgaw	15.46 mi	6	408^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.