Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28786

Summary:

The 28786 zip code area is home to 7 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school, all part of the Haywood County Schools district. This district is ranked 27th out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Among the standout schools in the area, Bethel Middle School ranks 74th out of 793 middle schools in North Carolina and has a 5-star rating, consistently outperforming the district and state averages on end-of-grade (EOG) tests. Junaluska Elementary also stands out, ranking 230th out of 1,505 elementary schools in North Carolina and earning a 4-star rating, with particularly strong math performance. In contrast, Central Haywood High struggles, ranking near the bottom of the state.

The schools in the 28786 zip code have a predominantly white student population, and the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch varies widely, from 49.18% at Tuscola High to 99.39% at Hazelwood Elementary. The inclusion of a public charter alternative school, Shining Rock Classical Academy, provides an interesting contrast, with mixed performance on standardized tests.

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
Shining Rock Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-11	2150 Russ Avenue	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Shining Rock Classical Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 476-5150	604	47	12.8		520 (86.1%)	12 (2.0%)	24 (4.0%)	8 (1.3%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.0%)								(n/a)	58.3	73.9	17.4	38.9	52.9	51.9	65.3	43.1	44.8	63.0	43.1	57.4	40.8	50.0	53.4	63.0	55.1	76.1
Waynesville Middle	Public	6-8	495 Brown Ave	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2403	720	49	14.7	61.5%	598 (83.1%)	7 (1.0%)	76 (10.6%)	10 (1.4%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	23 (3.2%)	58.6	299^th of 793 public middle schools	62.3%		58.8	298^th of 784 public middle schools	62.0%	1								56.1	51.7	52.8				50.6	48.7	53.2		74.5	$9,343	$1,182	$8,162
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	77	10	8.0	93.5%	59 (76.6%)	2 (2.6%)	9 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.1%)								(n/a)				18.2															$18,725	$2,409	$16,316
Bethel Middle	Public	6-8	630 Sonoma Road	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 646-3442	245	19	13.1	53.1%	222 (90.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	88.8	74^th of 793 public middle schools	90.7%		91.9	53^rd of 784 public middle schools	93.2%	21								85.0	84.2	73.6				61.3	69.7	67.0		90.1	$11,023	$637	$10,386
Hazelwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 Plott Creek Road	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 456-2406	492	36	13.7	99.4%	394 (80.1%)	3 (0.6%)	68 (13.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.5%)	68.3	439^th of 1505 public elementary schools	70.8%		67.2	464^th of 1502 public elementary schools	69.1%	25					65.4	71.6	58.7				54.3	64.9	54.8				76.3		$9,672	$1,194	$8,479
Junaluska Elementary	Public	K-5	2238 Asheville Road	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 456-2407	447	31	14.4	52.3%	373 (83.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.1%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.9%)	80.8	230^th of 1505 public elementary schools	84.7%		82.4	204^th of 1502 public elementary schools	86.4%	26					85.9	68.4	67.7				70.4	66.7	60.0				75.4		$9,950	$1,085	$8,865
Tuscola High	Public	9-12	564 Tuscola School Rd	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2408	917	58	15.8	49.2%	759 (82.8%)	12 (1.3%)	104 (11.3%)	6 (0.7%)	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (2.9%)	75.2	154^th of 640 public high schools	75.9%		71.2	168^th of 626 public high schools	73.2%	14	70.7	68.2	62.0	84.5															$9,911	$860	$9,050

Cities Near Zip Code 28786

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Waynesville	1.02 mi	8	103^rd
Clyde	4.19 mi	3	45^th
Canton	6.13 mi	5	89^th
Sylva	11.62 mi	6	211^th
Candler	14.84 mi	6	195^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.

Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28786

Bethel Middle

Junaluska Elementary

Tuscola High

Hazelwood Elementary

Waynesville Middle

Central Haywood High

Shining Rock Classical Academy

Cities Near Zip Code 28786