Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28510

Zip code 28510 contains just one public school: Arapahoe Charter School, a K-12 charter school serving 498 students in Pamlico County that operates as its own district, Arapahoe Charter School. Because there is only one school in this zip code, school-to-school comparisons are not possible, so the most useful benchmarks are North Carolina statewide averages and year-over-year changes at this single campus.

Arapahoe Charter School serves a high-poverty population, with nearly 87% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and its academic profile is strikingly uneven. High school performance is the clear standout: Math III EOC proficiency is an exceptional 92.9% and Math I EOC is 73.3%, both far exceeding state averages, while English II and Biology EOC scores also beat the state. Elementary and middle school results, however, lag in several areas, including 6th grade reading (36.2% proficient vs. 54.8% statewide), 5th grade math (45.2% vs. 62.9%), and 4th grade reading (42.0% vs. 57.7%). The school did make major progress overall, improving its average proficiency from 53.0% to 58.7% in one year and dramatically closing the gap in science and high school courses, though early-grade reading and math remain weak spots.

The most pressing concerns for parents are chronic absenteeism and the graduation rate. Chronic absenteeism reached 43.1% in 2024-2025, nearly double the 24.2% statewide rate, which is an added risk factor for a high-poverty school with challenges in younger grades. The graduation rate is 76.5%, below the statewide figure, creating a notable contrast with the strong EOC scores among students who persist to advanced coursework. Reading proficiency also fluctuates widely by grade, from a low of 36.2% in 6th grade to an impressive 65.9% in 8th grade, nearly 10 points above the state. In short, Arapahoe Charter School offers exceptional high school math outcomes and rising science scores, but families should weigh those strengths against substantial early-to-middle grade academic struggles and high absenteeism.