Summary:
The 28379 zip code area in North Carolina is home to 7 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, all part of the Richmond County Schools district. While the district as a whole is ranked 172 out of 242 in the state and has a 1-star rating, a few standout schools in the area demonstrate stronger academic performance.
L.J. Bell Elementary stands out as the top performer, with proficiency rates above the district and state averages in most subjects and grade levels. It also has the lowest percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients and the best student-teacher ratio among the elementary schools. Rockingham Middle is another bright spot, with the highest state ranking and a 2-star rating among the middle schools in the data set. In contrast, Ashley Chapel Educational Center, an alternative high school, has significantly lower proficiency rates compared to the district and state averages.
The data reveals stark disparities in academic performance across the schools, with factors beyond just funding and resources potentially driving these differences. The schools serve a predominantly low-income population, with all having very high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, there appears to be a potential correlation between the racial composition of the schools and their academic performance, with the higher-performing schools tending to have larger white student populations. Further analysis would be needed to fully understand the drivers of these observed performance differences.
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