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Schools in Zip Code 28645

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At a glance

Schools

5,147

Students

Districts

Top rankedLower Creek Elementary829^th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

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Smallest classes

Kings Creek Elementary 13.5 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

2★

1★

0★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

Zip code 28645 in Lenoir, NC, has 14 schools serving about 5,147 students: nine elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and one alternative school. Almost all belong to Caldwell County Schools, which ranks 162nd of 246 North Carolina districts, while Oak Hill Charter School sits in its own charter district. Poverty is the defining condition here: most schools report free/reduced-price lunch eligibility above 98%, and chronic absenteeism averages 26%, above the state rate of 24.2%. Families should use state averages cautiously, because no school in this zip receives more than 2 stars.

The clear standout is Lower Creek Elementary, ranked #829 of 1,492 with 2 stars; its 4th- and 5th-grade reading proficiency exceeds state averages and its chronic absenteeism is a relatively low 17.3%. Davenport A+ School is second among elementary schools, beating the district in 5th-grade math and science. The gap between high schools is huge: Hibriten High reaches 71.9% proficiency in Math III and graduates 84.1%, while West Caldwell High posts only 28.8% on Math III and an 82.4% graduation rate. William Lenoir Middle likewise beats Gamewell Middle in state rank. An unexpected bright spot is Happy Valley Elementary, with middle-grades math and reading at or above state level even though its overall elementary rank is in the 16th percentile.

The biggest concerns are Valmead Elementary (#1,442) and Kings Creek Elementary (#1,464), both in the bottom 3% of North Carolina schools. Kings Creek's 3rd-grade math is only 9.5% proficient, and Valmead's chronic absenteeism reaches 36.7%. Mathematics is the widest subject gap throughout the zip, including at Gamewell Elementary, Gamewell Middle, West Caldwell High, and Caldwell Online Academy. Attendance is not the only driver: Whitnel Elementary has the best attendance (12.2%) yet ranks in the 9th percentile, and many schools are declining in state rank. For parents, the best overall choices are Lower Creek Elementary and Davenport A+ School at the elementary level, William Lenoir Middle at the middle level, and Hibriten High at the high school level.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Oak Hill Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4603 Oak Hill School Rd.	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Oak Hill Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 759-1383	253	17	15.3		213 (84.2%)	6 (2.4%)	13 (5.1%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	14.9	1364^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.6%		24.9	1188^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.3%	176					54.1	45.0	37.5	30.0	27.8	37.5	32.4	40.0	33.3	40.0	33.3	50.0	45.8	43.8
Davenport A+ School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 College Avenue SW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6941	429	25	17.4	99.3%	163 (38.0%)	56 (13.1%)	162 (37.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.3%)	31.8	1060^th of 1492 public elementary schools	29.0%		41.7	886^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.5%	174					44.3	45.9	59.2				41.4	45.9	52.1				63.4		$9,609	$958	$8,651
Gamewell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2904 Morganton Boulevard	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 758-1193	459	27	16.8	99.3%	320 (69.7%)	40 (8.7%)	49 (10.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.0%)	16.5	1343^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	10.0%		25.2	1179^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.9%	164					42.9	45.8	27.5				38.6	54.2	33.8				37.5		$9,383	$1,070	$8,312
Gamewell Middle	Public	6-8	3210 Gamewell School Road	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6204	457	30	15.3	98.5%	282 (61.7%)	47 (10.3%)	89 (19.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.7%)	19.7	652^nd of 778 public middle schools	16.2%		18.6	648^th of 773 public middle schools	16.2%	4								40.8	37.8	26.8				44.2	48.1	34.2		47.7	$8,743	$1,279	$7,464
Happy Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1350 Yadkin River Road	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-3496	234	13	18.5	97.9%	212 (90.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	21.8	1254^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.0%		32.7	1042^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	30.1%	212					38.5	46.9	25.0	70.6	53.3	61.9	34.6	50.0	37.5	47.1	70.0	61.9	37.5	71.4	$10,168	$1,178	$8,990
Hibriten High	Public	9-12	1350 Panther Trail SE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-7376	818	39	21.0	98.7%	538 (65.8%)	71 (8.7%)	147 (18.0%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (6.5%)	41.2	395^th of 662 public high schools	40.3%		39	383^rd of 641 public high schools	40.2%	12	50.0	55.9	42.5	71.9															$10,067	$942	$9,125
Kings Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6039	153	11	13.5	98.0%	137 (89.5%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.6%)	5.1	1464^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.9%		15.9	1339^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.1%	125					9.5	21.4	15.8	20.0	26.3	31.3	23.8	42.9	21.1	40.0	42.1	68.8	26.3	68.8	$11,461	$1,809	$9,651
Lower Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	630 Lower Creek Drive NE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-4022	396	23	17.4	99.2%	280 (70.7%)	28 (7.1%)	44 (11.1%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.8%)	44.9	829^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.4%		60.6	553^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	62.9%	276					52.5	52.2	53.0				54.1	61.2	57.6				65.2		$8,688	$857	$7,832
Valmead Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Elizabeth Drive NW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-9612	305	18	16.7	97.4%	133 (43.6%)	62 (20.3%)	75 (24.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.1%)	8.2	1442^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	3.4%		17.2	1323^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	11.2%	119					39.0	34.1	26.5				34.1	34.1	28.6				49.0		$13,388	$1,976	$11,412
West Caldwell High	Public	9-12	300 W Caldwell Drive	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-5583	634	36	17.7	98.7%	364 (57.4%)	63 (9.9%)	147 (23.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (8.5%)	14.8	584^th of 662 public high schools	11.8%		17.6	542^nd of 641 public high schools	15.4%	42	34.4	50.0	21.5	28.8															$11,229	$831	$10,398
Whitnel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1425 Berkley Street SW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 728-6423	330	16	20.0	94.8%	196 (59.4%)	27 (8.2%)	79 (23.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.6%)	15.2	1360^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.8%		26.5	1146^th of 1490 public elementary schools	23.1%	214					46.3	30.6	40.5				34.1	36.1	42.9				54.8		$11,973	$1,307	$10,666
William Lenoir Middle	Public	6-8	1366 Wildcat Trail	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 726-3910	512	30	17.1	98.8%	300 (58.6%)	60 (11.7%)	110 (21.5%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.8%)	39.4	484^th of 778 public middle schools	37.8%		50.9	381^st of 773 public middle schools	50.7%	103								43.6	49.2	51.3				46.4	53.1	51.9		63.3	$9,237	$791	$8,446
Horizons Elementary	Public	K-5	332 Greenhaven Dr. NW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 726-3855	29	13	2.3	89.7%	21 (72.4%)	3 (10.3%)	4 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.4%)								(n/a)																			$39,602	$516	$39,086
Caldwell Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	4-12	332 Greenhaven Dr NW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(828) 726-3855	138	2	73.7	52.9%	109 (79.0%)	1 (0.7%)	20 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.8%)								(n/a)	50.0	52.9	8.3	46.7					54.5	25.0					72.7	65.0		70.0

Cities Near Zip Code 28645

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lenoir	1.01 mi	14	392^nd
Hudson	6.93 mi	5	132^nd
Collettsville	8.15 mi	1	269^th
Granite Falls	9.46 mi	6	184^th
Valdese	12.61 mi	4	141^st

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.