Schools in Zip Code 28560

Zip code 28560 in North Carolina is served by five public schools in the Craven County Board of Education, covering a PK-8 pipeline with four elementary schools and one middle school, but no high school.

For parents evaluating schools in this area, Grover C Fields Middle is the clear standout—a 4-star school ranking in the 71st percentile statewide that outperforms its district in every subject and beats the state in nearly all math and reading categories. Among elementary schools, Brinson Memorial Elementary is the strongest, ranking in the 55th percentile with particularly impressive early-grade results and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip. By contrast, Oaks Road Academy ranks in the 3rd percentile statewide and posts dramatically lower proficiency rates than its peers—a 35-point gap in 3rd grade math separates it from Brinson. J.T. Barber Elementary remains below district averages but has shown meaningful improvement, climbing from the 4th to the 27th percentile over two years, while Bridgeton Elementary sits in the middle, with solid math performance but weaker reading outcomes.

A notable pattern in this zip is the sharp poverty divide: all four elementary schools have free/reduced lunch rates above 95%, while Grover C Fields Middle serves a much less economically disadvantaged population at 46.1%. Brinson's success despite 97.5% poverty demonstrates that high-need schools can achieve strong results, while J.T. Barber's higher spending and smaller class sizes have not yet translated into comparable academic gains. Fifth grade appears to be a common trouble spot across several schools, and since no high school exists in the zip, students transition elsewhere after 8th grade—making this an incomplete picture of the full educational journey for families in 28560.