Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28611

Zip code 28611 is home to one public elementary option: Collettsville School, a PK–8 campus within Caldwell County Schools that serves 321 students, 98.75% of whom qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. Because it is the only school in this zip code, there are no close-by schools to compare it to, so the most useful reference points are the district and state averages.

Collettsville School has earned 3 stars and ranks 549th out of 1,492 North Carolina schools, placing it in the 63rd percentile. By contrast, Caldwell County Schools sits in the 34th percentile statewide with a 2-star rating, meaning this school is performing well above its district's overall standing. On 2025–26 end-of-grade tests, the school posts average proficiency of 62.2% in math across grades 3–8, well above the district's 50.3% and the state's 59.9%. In reading, it averages 60.4% versus 51.5% for the district and 56.0% statewide; in science, it averages 70.2% versus 62.4% and 68.2%. Its strongest results are 3rd-grade math (73.3%), 4th-grade math and reading (both 72.7%), and 8th-grade science (75.0%), while relative weak spots such as 5th-grade reading (50.0%) still match district levels.

Attendance is another bright spot: chronic absenteeism at Collettsville School is just 16.5%, well below the district rate of 23.2% and the state rate of 24.2% — an especially positive sign for a school serving such a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The latest data also shows strong momentum, with the school jumping from the 36th percentile and a 2-star rating in 2024–25 to the 63rd percentile and 3 stars this year. Because only 321 students span grades PK–8, tested cohorts are small, so large year-to-year swings — such as the roughly 30-point gains in 4th-grade math and reading — can reflect a handful of students and should be read with caution. Overall, Collettsville School beats district averages in nearly every subject, posts lower absenteeism, and holds its own against state proficiency averages, making it a strong choice for families in 28611.