Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28689

Elementary schools in zip code 28689 consist of a single campus — Union Grove Elementary — serving grades PK-5 with 247 students in the rural community of Union Grove, North Carolina, as part of the Iredell-Statesville Schools district. With no other elementary school in the area, the best way to understand the school is through comparisons with district and state averages. Union Grove has earned 3 out of 5 stars for each of the past three school years, though its statewide percentile rank has drifted from the 68th percentile in 2023-24 to the 63rd in 2024-25 and the 58th in 2025-26.

Academically, Union Grove performs at or above state averages in several subjects. In the most recent EOG testing year (2025-26), it beat the state in grade 4 math (71.4% proficient vs. 61.4% statewide), grade 4 reading (60.0% vs. 57.7%), and grade 5 science (71.1% vs. 67.7%), while matching the state average in grade 5 reading. Grade 3 math was the clearest weakness, at 58.1% compared to 66.4% statewide. Reading improved meaningfully from a 51.9% two-year average to 56.7%, but it remains the school's lowest-performing subject and the one to watch. Science has been a standout strength — 80.6% of 5th graders scored proficient in 2024-25, well above both district and state figures.

These results are especially notable given that 98.79% of Union Grove students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a very high-poverty population. The school also posts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.6%, far below the district's 19.9% and the state's 24.2%, and it maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.6. With only 247 students spread across PK-5, each grade cohort is small, so year-to-year proficiency changes can reflect the makeup of a single classroom group. Overall, Union Grove is a solid, steadily rated school that remains above the state median despite a gradual slip in statewide rank, with strong attendance and clear bright spots in science and grade 4 math.