Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28642

Zip code 28642 contains exactly one school: Jonesville Elementary, a PK–5 school in Yadkin County Schools that serves 268 students in a high-poverty area where nearly 99% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

As the only school in the zip code, Jonesville Elementary is the sole option for local elementary families, and its performance is mixed. On the positive side, chronic absenteeism is a relative strength at 18.4%, better than the district's 22.3% and the state's 24.2% despite the very high economic need. The school also showed meaningful year-over-year improvement in lower grades: 3rd grade math jumped 18.1 points to 54.5% proficient, 3rd grade reading rose 11.4 points to 43.2%, and 4th grade math improved 7.2 points to 60.9%. That 4th grade math score is the school's best subject/grade showing, nearly matching the state average of 61.4% and exceeding the district's 59.5%. However, reading remains a persistent weakness across all grades, with proficiency gaps of 7 to 22 points below state averages. The most concerning trend is a sharp decline in 5th grade during the most recent year: math fell 16.5 points, reading dropped 11.7 points, and science fell 11.3 points, leaving all three well below district and state averages.

Looking at the bigger picture, Jonesville's state ranking fell to the 20th percentile with 1 star after a brief improvement to 2 stars the prior year. The data suggests this decline is driven heavily by the current 5th grade cohort, which performed much stronger the year before—when 5th grade math and science actually exceeded district averages. That points to a cohort effect rather than a schoolwide systemic collapse. With per-student spending at $9,636, the school has meaningful resources but has not yet translated them into consistently strong proficiency. Families should know that while lower grades are trending upward and attendance is commendable, the school faces urgent challenges in reading proficiency and supporting the upper-elementary grades. Targeted attention for the older students and continued momentum in 3rd and 4th grade math will be key to improving the school's overall standing.