Best High Schools in Zip Code 28681

Zip code 28681 is served by two public high schools in Taylorsville, North Carolina, both part of Alexander County Schools, a mid-ranking district that contains two schools with dramatically different outcomes: Alexander Central High, a large traditional school with 1,254 students, and Alexander Early College, a small early college high school with 172 students. Together, they serve about 1,426 high schoolers from the same community, yet their performance levels are nearly opposite.

Alexander Early College is the clear standout, ranking 58th out of 662 North Carolina high schools in the 2025-2026 school year, placing it in the 91st percentile with a 5-star rating. Its proficiency rates are exceptional: 95.3% in Biology, 95.4% in English II, 88.0% in Math I, and 95.6% in Math III, putting it far above state averages. Alexander Central High, on the other hand, ranks 415th (37th percentile, 2 stars) and trails both district and state averages in every subject, including just 40.4% proficiency in Math I. Its graduation rate of 82.4% also falls well below the state's 88.8%, leaving a proficiency gap of roughly 40 percentage points between the two schools.

Both schools serve almost exclusively low-income student populations, with over 98% eligible for free or reduced lunch, which makes Alexander Early College's success particularly notable — high poverty here does not prevent high achievement. The early college is also improving, climbing from the 83rd to the 91st percentile over three years while spending less per student ($6,455 versus $10,255) and operating with a higher student-teacher ratio than Alexander Central High. Meanwhile, Alexander Central has declined from the 58th to the 37th percentile over the same period, despite having a chronic absenteeism rate (17.9%) below the state average of 24.2%. The key question for Alexander County Schools is how to translate the early college model's success into meaningful improvement at its larger comprehensive high school.