Schools in Zip Code 28531

ZIP code 28531 is served by a single public school, Harkers Island Elementary, a small K-5 school in the Carteret County Public Schools district with just 95 students, a 13.1 student-teacher ratio, and a very high poverty rate, with roughly 97% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Because there is only one school in this ZIP code, the story here is about this school alone rather than a comparison among local peers. Harkers Island Elementary has genuine bright spots. In the most recent testing year, 4th grade reading proficiency reached 81.3%, far above the district's 67.5% and the state's 57.7%. 5th grade science has also been a consistent strength, hovering around 78-87% proficiency over the past two years, well above state averages. The school's state ranking has fluctuated, moving from 407th, up to 335th, and then down to 473rd among roughly 1,500 North Carolina elementary schools, earning a 3-star rating in the latest year. Overall, the school performed above the state average in most subjects, though its most recent year (about 67.5% average EOG proficiency) slipped below its strong district's average (71.1%), largely driven by a weak 5th grade math result of 55.6%.

Families should understand that with such a tiny enrollment, each grade likely contains only 15-20 students, meaning a single child can shift proficiency rates by 5-7 percentage points. Sharp year-to-year swings, like 3rd grade reading dropping from 92.3% to 61.1%, are more about the changing group of students than program success or failure. Chronic absenteeism affects about 24.7% of students, matching the state average but running well ahead of the district's 18.7%, which is worth watching. Also, since no middle or high school exists in this ZIP code, students must leave Harkers Island after 5th grade to continue their education. Overall, this is a high-poverty school with real pockets of excellence in reading and science, but math performance and attendance deserve attention.