SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its yearly performance scores for schools across the state, with one local district’s number of low-performing schools cut by more than half.
In the 2025-2026 school year, Brunswick County decreased its low-performing schools by 60%, going from five to two. New Hanover County schools has five on the list now, compared to 10 last year.
However, Pender County increased its low-performing schools by two.
READ MORE: 2025 report card: Pender cuts low-performing schools in half, NHC, Brunswick see increases
Each September, NCDPI presents data from the prior school year to the State Board of Education, including student performance on state-required tests and academic growth outcomes for all schools. Both metrics are combined (80% test scores and 20% growth) into a school performance grade. From there, schools that earn a D or F grade are considered low-performing, unless they exceed growth expectations — meaning students made over a year’s worth of progress.
The successes in Brunswick and New Hanover counties mirror statewide improvements; 162 fewer schools were designated low-performing than the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, out of the 115 public school districts in North Carolina, 10 were designated as low-performing – 13 less than 2024-2025 and the lowest since 2018-2019.
The state also saw gains in its all-subject and all-grade composite scores for end-of-grade and end-of-course assignments which reported 59.2% students as proficient. This is the highest score in the past three years.
Graduation rates also hit a record high, rising to 88.8% — a 1% increase from 2024-2025.
Brunswick County
Brunswick County schools decreased its low-performing schools, bringing its number from five in 2024-2025 to two in 2025-2026. Four schools on last year’s list increased their scores to Cs. Out of the two schools still considered low-performing, one is a repeat offender and one is a new addition.
Schools that are low-performing:
- Supply Elementary
- South Brunswick Middle School (new addition)
Schools that came off of low-performing:
- Bolivia Elementary
- Cedar Grove Elementary
- Leland Middle School
- Lincoln Elementary
Representative for Brunswick County Schools Ben Strauss told Port City Daily the district is pleased with this year’s results since 14 of the county’s 20 schools met or exceeded the district’s expected growth. As well, 18 of 20 had an overall higher performance score than the previous year and seven schools improved by a letter grade.
Progress came, according to Strauss, due to improved leadership and instruction, a “more consistent approach to teaching and learning” across the district and a drop in chronic absenteeism.
One of Brunswick County schools’ approaches included updating its attendance policy to improve student learning outcomes and overall school experience. It experienced 20.1% rates of chronic absenteeism — defined as missing 10% of enrolled days — during the first semester in 2023-2024 for high school students. According to WECT reporting from 2025, elementary schools decreased from 7.0% to 4.8%, middle schools are seeing a decrease from 11.6% to 7.0%, and high schools are seeing a decrease from 23.1% to 10.1%.
Brunswick County Schools has, first off, limited the absences to 10 annually for grades 9-12; according to previous PCD reporting, it was eight days in 2024. The policy updates also include holding back K-8 students who were chronically absent from moving forward to the next grade level. Now, high school students also lose credits toward graduation if they miss 18 or more days.
“We are proud of those gains, but we also know there is more work ahead,” Strauss said. “Over the next several days, we will be highlighting this growth and sharing more of the school-by-school progress behind the districtwide numbers.”
New Hanover County
New Hanover County Schools decreased its number of low-performing schools by five, cutting its list of low-performing schools in half. One school — Williston Middle — remained low-performing but was able to bring its score up to a D.
Schools that remain low-performing from the last report card:
- Alderman Elementary
- College Park Elementary
- Snipes Academy
- Williston Middle
- Rachel Freeman School of Engineering
Schools that came off of low-performing:
- Forest Hills Global Elementary
- Blair Elementary
- Career Readiness Academy at Mosley
- Wrightsboro Elementary
- Sunset Elementary
A representative for New Hanover County Schools declined to comment on the new scores, telling Port City Daily the district was currently working through the data.
Pender County
Unlike Brunswick and New Hanover County schools, Pender County had a rise from three low-performing schools in 2024-2025 to five in 2025-2026. Four schools were new additions to the low-performing category while two — Penderlea and Pender High — were able to shed the moniker from the previous school year and increased its letter grades to a C.
Schools that are low-performing:
- C.F. Pope
- Malpass Corner (new addition)
- Burgaw Middle (new addition)
- West Pender (new addition)
- Cape Fear Middle
Malpass Corner, Burgaw Middle and West Pender were all low-performing schools in 2023-2024 before showing enough growth to leave the category in 2024-2025. The three schools returned to low-performing status during the last academic year.
Burgaw Middle’s achievement score increased slightly, from 37.4 to 38.5, but its growth status changed from exceeding expected growth to not meeting expected growth.
West Pender improved in both achievement and overall performance but met expected growth rather than exceeded. Despite score improvements, West Pender still received a D — paired with only meeting growth status the school was placed back into the state’s low-performing category.
Schools that came off of low-performing:
- Penderlea
- Pender High
Representative for the district Bob Fankboner told Port City Daily that Pender High’s principal, Nick Paquette, credited stronger alignment among staff around the school’s goals and instructional strategies. It’s also changed its schedules to better match teachers and students, focused more on attendance and the use of instructional time, and provided paid peer tutoring.
Similarly, Penderlea principal Stephen Harris cited teachers working together to review student learning, identifying gaps and adjusting instruction, increasing use of small-group instruction, and giving tutor sessions and intersession instructions.
Overall, five district schools increased their scores by a letter grade — Cape Fear Elementary, Surf City Elementary, Surf City Middle, Penderlea and Pender High.
“Pender County Schools is encouraged by the progress reflected in this year’s results. Districtwide proficiency increased, with gains at the elementary, middle and high school levels. We also saw several schools improve their performance scores and letter grades,” representative for the district Bob Fankboner said in a statement.
Fankboner said the district will continue to focus on areas of improvement for students.
[Editor’s note: The piece has been updated to reflect Nick Paquette is the Principal of Pender High not Penderlea. PCD regrets this error.]
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