Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28616

Zip code 28616 contains just two schools serving roughly 314 students in the rural mountain communities around Crossnore: Crossnore Elementary, a traditional PK–5 school in Avery County Schools, and Marjorie Williams Academy, an alternative K–12 school. The zip code has no conventional public middle or high school, so families seeking a traditional secondary pathway must look outside 28616. Both schools serve highly economically disadvantaged populations — more than 96% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — yet post exceptionally low chronic absenteeism: about 5.3% at Crossnore Elementary and 6.8% at Marjorie Williams Academy, far better than the state's 24.2%.

Academically, the two schools have very different profiles. Crossnore Elementary shines in upper-elementary math and science: 5th grade math proficiency hit 84% in 2025–2026 (state: 62.9%) and 5th grade science reached 80% (state: 67.7%), but reading is the weak spot, with 3rd grade reading at just 32.3% versus 55.6% statewide. The school's statewide ranking also slipped from the 82nd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 53rd–54th percentile in subsequent years. Marjorie Williams Academy posts an impressive 90% English II End-of-Course proficiency and strong 8th grade reading and science scores, but elementary and middle-school math proficiency runs below state averages, and its 2023–2024 graduation rate of 41.2% is a serious concern relative to the state's 88.8%.

Both schools benefit from relatively small learning environments — a 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio at Crossnore Elementary and a very low 6.5:1 ratio at Marjorie Williams Academy — and consistently strong attendance suggests students show up ready to learn. The challenge ahead is converting these assets into steadier academic gains, particularly in early reading at Crossnore Elementary and in mathematics at Marjorie Williams Academy. Parents exploring school options in 28616 should understand that the zip code offers one traditional elementary school and one alternative K–12 school, and that conventional middle and high school options for the area sit elsewhere within Avery County Schools.