Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28756

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

School

454

Students

Top rankedPolk County Middle School230^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The 28756 zip code in North Carolina is home to a single middle school, Polk County Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 and has a total enrollment of 471 students. The school is part of the Polk County Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Polk County Middle School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from 156 out of 784 middle schools in 2022-2023 to 230 out of 773 in 2024-2025. However, the school's test scores show a mixed performance, with above-average proficiency rates in reading and 8th grade science, but below-average math proficiency in several grade levels. The school serves a predominantly low-income student population, with 99.36% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite the school's challenges, it has some academic strengths, particularly in science and reading. The school's per-student spending for the 2018-2019 school year was $11,233, and the student-teacher ratio for the 2023-2024 school year was 11.7 to 1. While the school's declining statewide ranking and below-average math proficiency rates suggest areas for improvement, Polk County Middle School remains the sole middle school option for families in the 28756 zip code.

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Polk County Middle School	Public	6-8	321 Wolverine Trail	Mill Spring	28756	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2215	454	41	11.1	99.3%	339 (74.7%)	19 (4.2%)	64 (14.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.4%)	67	230^th of 773 public middle schools	70.2%		73.9	180^th of 793 public middle schools	77.3%	50	50.7	56.8	52.1	62.9	63.6	65.3	74.3	$11,233	$636	$10,597

Cities Near Zip Code 28756

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mill Spring	2.31 mi	3	136^th
Lake Lure	4.87 mi	1
Columbus	5.2 mi	2	95^th
Tryon	9.63 mi	1	109^th
Rutherfordton	11.1 mi	4	179^th

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.