Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28515

Zip code 28515 contains two public elementary schools in Bayboro, NC—Pamlico County Primary (grades PK–3, 329 students) and Fred A Anderson Elementary (grades 4–5, 136 students)—both belonging to Pamlico County Schools, a district ranked 132 out of 246 in North Carolina (46th percentile, 2 stars), where nearly every student (97–99%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

Pamlico County Primary is clearly the academically stronger school in the zip code. In 2024–2025, its 3rd-grade math proficiency reached 70%, well above the state average of 64.1%, and reading also edged past the state average. In 2025–2026, scores held essentially at state average (math 66.2% vs. 66.4% statewide; reading 55.8% vs. 55.6%) despite 99% economic disadvantage. By contrast, Fred A Anderson Elementary has gone in the opposite direction: its state ranking fell from the 49th percentile (2 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 26th percentile (1 star) in 2025–2026. In the most recent year, every tested subject fell below state averages, with especially large gaps in 4th grade—math at 41.5% versus 61.4% statewide and reading at 43.1% versus 57.7%.

The most striking pattern is the drop between grade bands. Students leave Pamlico County Primary performing at or near state averages, but by 4th and 5th grade at Fred A Anderson Elementary they are falling behind, suggesting a difficult school transition, a cohort effect, or both. Year-to-year volatility is also dramatic: 4th-grade reading crashed from 63.6% to 43.1% proficiency in a single year, though the small cohort (136 students across two grades) amplifies swings. Chronic absenteeism at both schools (~25%) is slightly above the state average of 24.2% but far better than the district's 37.3%. Interestingly, Pamlico County Primary spends more per student ($14,314 vs. $12,115) yet has larger classes (13.8 vs. 10.4 student-teacher ratio). For parents, the key concern is whether the strong early-grade foundation can be sustained once students move to the upper-elementary campus.