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Schools in Zip Code 28659

At a glance

Schools

1,548

Students

Top rankedMulberry Elementary School278^th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Mulberry Elementary School up 157 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

ZIP code 28659 in North Wilkesboro, NC is served by four schools in Wilkes County Schools — three elementary schools (Mulberry Elementary School, North Wilkesboro Elementary School, and C C Wright Elementary School) and one middle school (North Wilkes Middle School) — all serving a community where more than 99% of students at every campus qualify for free/reduced lunch.

The clear academic standout is Mulberry Elementary School, which ranks in the 81st percentile statewide with a 4-star rating and posts 4th- and 5th-grade math proficiency scores roughly 17 points above the state average. North Wilkes Middle School, the only middle school in the ZIP code, sits near the state average overall with strong 8th-grade math and science results but a notable weakness in 6th-grade reading at just 39.8% proficiency, and its statewide rank has slipped from the 61st to the 52nd percentile over three years. C C Wright Elementary School is the most improved school, climbing from the 20th to the 31st percentile, yet its scores still trail district averages and its 24.6% chronic absenteeism rate is the highest in the area. The most concerning school is North Wilkesboro Elementary School, ranked in the 24th percentile with 3rd-grade reading proficiency at just 31.4% — roughly 24 points below district and state averages.

Because all four schools serve essentially identical high-poverty populations, the wide variation in outcomes points to school-level factors — instruction, climate, and leadership — making a real difference. Reading is the biggest academic weakness across the ZIP code, while math and science are relative strengths at Mulberry Elementary School and North Wilkes Middle School. The ZIP code contains no high schools, so families should consider how 8th graders feed into high schools elsewhere in Wilkes County Schools. C C Wright Elementary School also deserves attention: it has the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.3) and highest per-pupil spending, yet its chronic absenteeism appears to limit the return on those investments.

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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)				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/reduced lunch	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	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
C C Wright Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 CC Wright School Rd	North Wilkesboro	28659	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 838-5513	316	26	12.3		192 (60.8%)	35 (11.1%)	58 (18.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.2%)	34.3	1023^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	31.4%		25.7	1164^th of 1490 public elementary schools	21.9%	141	69.0	54.3	46.3				54.8	47.8	42.6				53.7		$10,952	$1,205	$9,747
Mulberry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	190 Mulberry School Rd	North Wilkesboro	28659	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 667-4641	419	27	15.6		290 (69.2%)	7 (1.7%)	98 (23.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.7%)	76.9	278^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.4%		67.7	435^th of 1490 public elementary schools	70.8%	157	82.4	78.2	80.3				66.2	74.5	52.1				76.1		$10,621	$1,175	$9,446
North Wilkesboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Flint Hill Rd	North Wilkesboro	28659	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 838-2872	329	20	16.7		106 (32.2%)	35 (10.6%)	140 (42.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (14.6%)	27.9	1140^th of 1492 public elementary schools	23.6%		22.2	1241^st of 1490 public elementary schools	16.7%	101	62.9	42.9	59.1				31.4	38.8	45.5				59.1		$9,437	$1,296	$8,141
North Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	2776 Yellow Banks Road	North Wilkesboro	28659	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 903-6224	484	28	17.0		381 (78.7%)	4 (0.8%)	76 (15.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	53.1	371^st of 778 public middle schools	52.3%		56.3	311^th of 773 public middle schools	59.8%	60				59.4	53.3	66.4				39.8	55.1	56.1		73.6	$8,886	$1,017	$7,868

Cities Near Zip Code 28659

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hays	1 mi	2	302^nd
North Wilkesboro	2.81 mi	4	313^th
Roaring River	6.36 mi	1	131^st
Millers Creek	7.53 mi	2	160^th
Wilkesboro	7.86 mi	4	162^nd

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.