Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28781

Summary:

The 28781 zip code is home to a single alternative public school, Nantahala School, which serves grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 85 students. Despite serving a predominantly low-income student population, Nantahala School outperforms the broader Macon County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in several key academic assessments.

Nantahala School has a predominantly white student body, with 85.88% of students identifying as white, and notable Hispanic (8.24%) and Native American (1.18%) populations. The school's students excel in end-of-course assessments, with 66.7% passing the Biology exam, 75% passing the English II exam, and 53.8% passing the Math I exam, all of which are significantly higher than the district and state averages. This strong academic performance is particularly impressive given that 78.82% of Nantahala's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a low-income student population.

Nantahala School's success is further highlighted by its high spending per student ($21,882) and low student-teacher ratio (6.7), suggesting that the school is able to provide a more personalized and well-resourced educational experience for its students. These factors, combined with the school's status as an alternative institution, likely contribute to its ability to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve academic success.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nantahala School	Public, Alternative	K-12	213 Windingstairs Rd	Topton	28781	Cherokee County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 321-4388	85	13	6.7	78.8%	73 (85.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)								(n/a)	66.7	75.0	$21,882	$1,206	$20,675

Cities Near Zip Code 28781

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Topton	3.5 mi	1
Andrews	7.15 mi	3	256^th
Robbinsville	7.57 mi	3	399^th
Murphy	13.79 mi	10	154^th
Bryson City	14.86 mi	6	268^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.