Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28515

Zip code 28515 in Bayboro, NC is served by four public schools in the Pamlico County Schools district, enrolling roughly 1,130 students across a nearly complete PK-12 pipeline with every school reporting free/reduced-price lunch eligibility above 97%. Pamlico County High is the clear standout, ranking in the 67th percentile statewide (3 stars) and posting remarkable math scores: 65% proficiency in Math I and 88% in Math III, compared to 42.1% and 68.9% statewide. The high school's graduation rate of 88% also matches the state average. By contrast, Fred A Anderson Elementary is the biggest red flag, having plunged from the 54th percentile to the 26th percentile in a single year, with every tested subject now below the state average—most alarmingly, 4th grade reading fell from 63.6% to 43.1% proficiency. Pamlico County Middle is also declining, dropping from the 69th to the 45th percentile over three years, with 8th grade math proficiency collapsing to 36.3% versus 53.0% statewide.

Meanwhile, Pamlico County Primary is quietly solid, with 3rd grade reading and math scores essentially matching state averages, suggesting the early foundation is intact. This makes the sharp academic drop at Fred A Anderson Elementary—which serves just two grades and 136 students—especially notable, though its small size means year-to-year ranking swings can be volatile. The district allocates the least per-pupil spending here at roughly $12,115.

The most unusual finding is chronic absenteeism at the high school: a staggering 56.1% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state's 24.2%, yet the school still performs well above average on state tests. Since Pamlico County High enrolls about 37% of all students in the zip code, its absenteeism heavily skews the district average; the other three schools all sit between 24.9% and 26.7%, near the state norm. Overall, this is a high-poverty rural district with genuine strengths at the high school and primary levels, but families should watch the troubling declines in upper elementary and 8th grade math.