Summary:
ZIP code 28504 is served by one middle school, Woodington Middle, which enrolls 584 students in grades 6–8 and operates within Lenoir County Public Schools in Kinston, North Carolina.
Woodington Middle is the only middle school in this ZIP code, and it stands out for outperforming its district in every tested subject and grade level during the 2025–2026 school year. The school leads Lenoir County by wide margins in 7th-grade math (59.9% vs. 41.6%), 8th-grade science (71.6% vs. 61.1%), and 6th-grade reading (58.0% vs. 48.2%). It also made large year-over-year gains, including a 16-point jump in 6th-grade reading and a 15.3-point jump in 8th-grade science. As a result, its state percentile improved from 38 to 54, and its star rating rose from 2 to 3 stars. The school’s science proficiency is a clear strength, exceeding both the district and state averages, and it now nearly matches or surpasses state averages in several reading and math categories despite serving an extremely high-poverty population, with 99.49% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
While Woodington Middle still trails North Carolina state averages slightly in 6th-grade math, 8th-grade math, 7th-grade reading, and 8th-grade reading, the gaps are relatively narrow and the school’s upward trajectory is encouraging. The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 26.8%, slightly above the district’s 26.5% and the state’s 24.2%. Reducing absenteeism could help sustain the recent academic momentum. Overall, Woodington Middle is a high-poverty school making broad academic gains, outperforming its district across the board, and moving in a positive direction in state rankings — making it a school to watch in the Kinston area.
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