Summary:
The 28098 zip code area is home to two schools - Holbrook Middle School and Lowell Elementary School. While both schools serve the same community, they exhibit distinct differences in academic performance and student demographics.
Lowell Elementary stands out as a strong academic performer, consistently outpacing the Gaston County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics. In 2023-2024, 79.3% of 3rd graders at Lowell Elementary were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 54.2% for the district and 62.7% for the state. The school's reading and science proficiency rates also exceed the district and state averages.
In contrast, Holbrook Middle School exhibits a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of African American (32.95%) and Hispanic (24.07%) students compared to the more homogeneous racial makeup of Lowell Elementary. While both schools have high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, Holbrook Middle spends slightly less per student and has a higher student-teacher ratio than Lowell Elementary. These differences in student demographics and resource allocation may contribute to the observed performance gap between the two schools.
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