Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28723

ZIP code 28723 contains two schools—Cullowhee Valley School (PK–8, 570 students) in Jackson County Public Schools and Catamount School (6–8, 64 students) in its own district, Catamount School district—with no high schools serving the area. Catamount is the clear academic standout, ranking in the 83rd percentile statewide and earning 4 stars, while Cullowhee Valley ranks in the 25th percentile of districts with 1 star. The two schools also serve very different populations: 99.47% of Cullowhee Valley students qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to 37.5% at Catamount.

In the overlapping middle grades, Catamount substantially outperforms Cullowhee Valley, with gaps of 20 to 33 percentage points. For instance, 8th grade math proficiency is 60% at Catamount versus 27.3% at Cullowhee Valley, and 8th grade reading is 76% versus 45.5%. Cullowhee Valley’s strongest results are in its elementary grades—5th grade math jumped from 39.7% to 59.2% in one year, and 4th grade reading rose to 57.7%, matching the state average. However, its middle school scores drop sharply, with 6th grade math at 35.6% and 8th grade math at 27.3%, suggesting that the transition to middle-grade instruction may need attention.

Attendance at Cullowhee Valley is a bright spot: its 24.0% chronic absenteeism rate is below Jackson County’s 27.3% and essentially at the state’s 24.2%, despite the school’s high poverty level. Catamount’s chronic absenteeism is slightly above the state rate, and with only 64 students, its year-to-year scores can swing significantly—as seen with 6th grade reading falling from 62.5% to 48%. Because no high schools exist in 28723, families will look outside the ZIP code for grades 9–12. Overall, parents choosing between these schools will find very different environments: Cullowhee Valley is a traditional, high-need PK–8 school, while Catamount is a small, university-affiliated lab-school district with strong middle school results.