Summary:
Zip code 28713 has one public middle school, Swain County Middle School, serving grades 6–8 in Bryson City within Swain County Schools, with 453 students and a 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligibility rate of 99.34%.
Because this is the only middle school in the zip code, its results define the area. In 2025–26, Swain County Middle posted EOG proficiency rates that came close to North Carolina state averages in several subjects: 7th grade math was 55.8% vs. 56.2% statewide, 7th grade reading was 54.6% vs. 56.3%, and 8th grade science was 64.5% vs. 68.6%. Given its very high poverty level, these near-average results are notable. A larger story is momentum: compared with 2024–25, the school improved in six of seven tested subject/grade combinations. 8th grade science jumped 14.5 points, 7th grade reading rose 12.0 points, 6th grade reading increased 8.8 points, and 8th grade math gained 8.2 points. 7th grade math declined slightly but remained the school’s strongest math score. 8th grade is a mixed profile, with science relatively strong but math and reading below 8th grade state averages by 8.6 and 8.1 points respectively.
Parents should also note attendance and district context. Chronic absenteeism is high at 32.4%, above the 24.2% statewide rate, but below the district’s 36.3%, meaning Swain County Middle School is the stronger attendance performer within Swain County Schools. The district is rated 1 star at 205 of 246 districts, while the school currently holds a 2-star state ranking (458th of 778, 41st percentile). Its state rank has fluctuated: 3-star in 2023–24, 2-star in 2024–25, and 2-star in 2025–26. With near-universal economic disadvantage and significant absenteeism challenges, the 2025–26 gains point to an improving school that is outperforming its district’s overall rating.
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