Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28681

Summary:

The 28681 zip code area in North Carolina is home to 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. While the schools in this area generally perform better than the state averages on standardized tests, there are some standout institutions that deserve special attention.

West Alexander Middle School consistently ranks among the top 20% of middle schools in North Carolina, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. It has strong performance across various subject areas, with students outperforming the state and district averages. Similarly, Alexander Early College is a high school that ranks among the top 20% in the state and has earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past two years, with exceptional performance on end-of-course exams.

In contrast, Wittenburg Elementary and Ellendale Elementary have lower proficiency rates compared to the other elementary schools in the area. The racial makeup of the schools is predominantly white, with Taylorsville Elementary being the most diverse. Additionally, the correlation between spending per student and academic performance is not straightforward, as some of the higher-spending schools do not necessarily have the best test scores. Overall, the Alexander County School District, which encompasses all the schools in the 28681 zip code, is ranked 104 out of 242 school districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, suggesting that the district as a whole is performing around the state average.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)						EOG Reading (2024)						EOG Science (2024)		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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alexander Central High	Public	9-12	223 School Drive	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7063	1,312	87	15.0	46.9%	1,034 (78.8%)	72 (5.5%)	130 (9.9%)	9 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (5.0%)	54.2	269^th of 640 public high schools	58.0%		56.9	248^th of 626 public high schools	60.4%	21	65.5	58.8	41.1	62.9															$10,255	$776	$9,479
Taylorsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 7th Street SW	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-3072	238	15	15.9	74.8%	132 (55.5%)	36 (15.1%)	42 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.8%)	63.5	518^th of 1505 public elementary schools	65.6%		68.8	426^th of 1502 public elementary schools	71.6%	92					73.7	67.6	59.5				55.3	50.0	56.8				64.9		$12,141	$1,707	$10,434
Bethlehem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7900 NC Hwy 127	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 495-8198	458	28	16.5	51.1%	367 (80.1%)	11 (2.4%)	42 (9.2%)	20 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	74	344^th of 1505 public elementary schools	77.1%		78.8	257^th of 1502 public elementary schools	82.9%	87					63.1	62.2	77.3				60.0	62.2	53.4				89.8		$9,332	$688	$8,643
Sugar Loaf Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 NC Hwy 16N	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-2192	206	13	15.8	55.8%	184 (89.3%)	4 (1.9%)	6 (2.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.9%)	44.8	839^th of 1505 public elementary schools	44.3%		76.1	297^th of 1502 public elementary schools	80.2%	542					70.6	53.1	60.7				35.3	40.6	50.0				57.1		$10,272	$854	$9,417
West Alexander Middle	Public	6-8	85 Bulldog Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 495-4611	467	29	15.9	46.9%	394 (84.4%)	14 (3.0%)	30 (6.4%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.9%)	76.7	156^th of 793 public middle schools	80.3%		75.5	167^th of 784 public middle schools	78.7%	11								76.9	67.1	61.4				60.3	49.3	60.0		85.5	$8,079	$717	$7,362
Wittenburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7300 Church Road	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-2395	310	18	16.9	71.0%	246 (79.4%)	15 (4.8%)	32 (10.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	24.2	1204^th of 1505 public elementary schools	20.0%		46.8	817^th of 1502 public elementary schools	45.6%	387					54.8	34.1	43.6				42.9	43.9	30.9				43.6		$10,578	$975	$9,603
Alexander Early College	Public	9-12	345 Industrial Blvd	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-8221	165	7	23.5	37.0%	121 (73.3%)	2 (1.2%)	30 (18.2%)	10 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	86.3	106^th of 640 public high schools	83.4%		95.8	15^th of 626 public high schools	97.6%	91	75.7	84.2	83.8	81.1															$6,455	$116	$6,339
Ellendale Elementary	Public	K-5	175 Ellendale Park Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-4866	216	14	14.9	55.1%	189 (87.5%)	6 (2.8%)	4 (1.9%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.0%)	40.8	917^th of 1505 public elementary schools	39.1%		63.8	520^th of 1502 public elementary schools	65.4%	397					40.7	75.0	44.2				42.9	41.7	48.8				62.8		$12,059	$1,416	$10,642

Cities Near Zip Code 28681

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Taylorsville	3.16 mi	9	90^th
Hiddenite	6.44 mi	2	319^th
Hickory	7.03 mi	17	175^th
Claremont	7.57 mi	5	245^th
Conover	8.59 mi	5	281^st

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.