Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28523

ZIP code 28523, serving the Cove City area of North Carolina, contains a single public school: James W Smith Elementary, a PK–5 elementary school with 325 students and a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. It belongs to the Craven County Board of Education, a district that ranks 142nd out of 246 districts statewide. Since no middle or high schools exist within 28523, families in Cove City have only this K–5 option available locally, and older students must attend schools outside the ZIP code within the district.

As the only school in the ZIP code, James W Smith Elementary stands out by default, but its performance is notable in its own right. The school has improved its statewide ranking three years in a row, climbing from the 36th percentile in 2023–24 to the 53rd percentile in 2025–26, now holding a 3-star rating. In the most recent testing year, 5th-grade math proficiency reached 71.4%, a striking 19.1 percentage points above the district average and 8.5 points above the state. Similarly, 5th-grade science hit 73.8%, exceeding the district by 9.5 points and the state by 6.1 points. Math results at other grade levels were more moderate, with 3rd grade lagging the state by 7.2 points. In reading, performance is mixed: 4th-grade reading led at 60.8% compared with 57.7% statewide, but 3rd-grade reading trails at 46.9%, nearly nine points below the state average.

The school's positive trajectory is especially noteworthy given that nearly 97% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism sits at just 14.0%, far better than the district's 18.7% and the state's 24.2%. A particularly encouraging sign is the cohort improvement in math: the same group of students jumped from 38.1% proficiency in 4th-grade math in 2024–25 to 71.4% in 5th-grade math in 2025–26. Early literacy remains the clearest area for growth, as 3rd-grade reading proficiency lags both district and state benchmarks. If James W Smith Elementary can lift its early-grade reading outcomes to match its math gains, the school appears well positioned to keep moving up the state rankings.