Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28590

Zip code 28590 is served by a single middle school, A G Cox Middle in Winterville, North Carolina, which enrolls 778 students across grades 6–8 as part of Pitt County Schools. Because there is only one middle school in the area, the most useful context comes from comparing A G Cox Middle, a high-poverty school where virtually all students qualify for free or reduced lunch, to the district and state at large.

A G Cox Middle has posted impressive statewide academic growth, climbing from the 54th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 70th percentile in 2025–2026. In the most recent testing year, the school performed above the North Carolina state average in every tested subject. Reading proficiency is a clear strength, with the school's average of 61.5% well above both the state average of 55.7% and the district average of 55.4%, while science is the standout area with 77.7% of 8th graders proficient. Math proficiency at the school averages 60.6%, above the state but right at the district level. The only subject that trails Pitt County Schools is 8th grade math (55.1% vs. 59.1%), and that remains the one academic area worth watching. The school also outperforms its own district's overall ranking, sitting at the 70th percentile compared to Pitt County Schools' ranking at the 54th percentile statewide.

This progress appears to be broadly based rather than limited to one grade level. The current 6th grade cohort dramatically outperformed the previous 6th grade class, with math proficiency jumping from 54.6% to 69.1% and reading from 48.0% to 63.3%. The same cohort also made strong gains from 6th to 7th grade, especially in reading, where proficiency rose by 12.6 percentage points. Chronic absenteeism stands at 23.1%, essentially in line with the district and slightly below the state average of 24.2%, though still affecting nearly one in four students. With one of the highest economic need levels possible, A G Cox Middle is an academically competitive school that is clearly trending upward, with science and reading as its standout subjects and 8th grade math as the main opportunity for future growth.