Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28472

ZIP code 28472, covering the Whiteville, NC area, includes 9 public schools serving about 4,038 students in grades PK-12 across Whiteville City Schools, Columbus County Schools, and the Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville district. It is a high-poverty area—seven of nine schools report free/reduced lunch rates at or above 98%—yet its top performers serve exactly those populations. Old Dock Elementary is the clear standout: ranked in the 94th percentile with 5 stars after climbing from the 64th percentile in three years, it posts 3rd-grade reading of 83.0% versus 55.6% statewide. Columbus Career and College Academy is the strongest high school at the 80th percentile, with a 93.0% graduation rate and Math I proficiency of 94.1% versus 42.1% statewide—while spending the least per pupil in the ZIP code.

At the other end, North Whiteville Academy is a major red flag: just 16 students, 73.2% chronic absenteeism, a 67.4% graduation rate, and per-pupil spending of $24,391—the highest in the area. Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville ranks in only the 14th percentile with a 44.6-to-1 student-teacher ratio, while Central Middle has declined from the 60th to the 39th percentile over three years. Chronic absenteeism exceeds the state rate of 24.2% at five of eight reporting schools, including Whiteville High at 37.0%—yet it still graduates students at 90.3%, above the state average, and earns a 55th-percentile, 3-star rating.

Middle-grades math and science are the area's most consistent weakness: Central Middle, Williams Township, and Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville all score below the state in 8th-grade math and science. Reading also fades after early elementary—Edgewood Elementary's 5th-grade reading (43.8%) and Williams Township's 7th-grade reading (42.9%) trail state averages by double digits. Notably, Old Dock Elementary and Columbus Career and College Academy are both in Columbus County Schools, a district ranked lower overall than Whiteville City Schools—proof that district ratings do not predict individual school outcomes. Spending does not explain performance either: Columbus Career and College Academy spends the least per pupil yet earns the area's best high-school results, while North Whiteville Academy spends the most and struggles the most.