Schools in Zip Code 28805

ZIP code 28805 serves roughly 1,352 students across four schools: three elementary-level options—including the K-8 charter Evergreen Community Charter—and one virtual K-12 alternative, Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy. Three of these schools belong to Buncombe County Schools, a district ranked in the 56th percentile with 3 stars, while Evergreen operates as its own charter district and ranks in the 90th percentile with 5 stars. There are no standalone traditional middle or high schools in the ZIP code, though Evergreen covers grades K-8 and the Virtual Academy covers K-12.

Among the traditional in-person schools, Haw Creek Elementary is the clear standout, ranking in the 78th percentile with 4 stars despite serving a student population where 99% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. It outperforms both district and state averages in nearly every elementary subject, including 4th grade math (73.8% proficient vs. 61.4% statewide) and 5th grade science (79.5% vs. 67.7%). Evergreen Community Charter posts a solid 68th-percentile ranking overall, but its middle-grade results are exceptional: 8th grade science proficiency reaches 91.8%, more than 23 points above the state average, and 8th grade math sits at 78% versus 53% statewide. Meanwhile, Bell Elementary has fallen sharply from the 72nd percentile to the 40th percentile over the past year, with notable declines in 3rd and 5th grade reading. Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy presents a mixed profile: its 92.6% graduation rate exceeds district and state averages, but math and science proficiency trails the state significantly, and chronic absenteeism is highest in the ZIP code at 28.3%.

The contrast between Haw Creek and Bell is especially telling: both serve student bodies with poverty rates above 95% and share an identical student-teacher ratio of 12.3, yet Haw Creek ranks 38 percentile points higher. This suggests school-level factors are driving outcomes more than poverty alone. Chronic absenteeism is notably low at all three in-person schools, ranging from 12.9% at Bell to 16.5% at Haw Creek, all below the 24.2% state average. For families, the ZIP code offers strong elementary options but requires planning for middle and high school years, since the traditional path likely leads outside 28805 unless students enroll at Evergreen or the Virtual Academy.