Goldsboro, N.C. – For the third consecutive year, Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) has demonstrated strong academic achievement, continued progress, and significant gains. The results build on the momentum that has established WCPS as a “district on the move.”
“In my first week on the job as superintendent in the summer of 2023, I received a letter from the state saying that more than half of our schools were low-performing,” said Dr. Marc Whichard. “I quickly established very clear, non-negotiable expectations for our schools and put in place a focused plan designed to move our schools and our district forward.”
Over the past three years, the district’s academic ranking has climbed from 91st out of 115 school districts in the state to 51st – moving past 40 other school districts and into the top 44% of districts statewide. During that same period, 12 of the 16 WCPS schools previously identified as low-performing have come off the state’s low-performing list.
“That kind of progress does not happen overnight, and it certainly does not happen because of one person. It is a testament to the hard work, determination and commitment of our students and staff in classrooms across Wayne County.”
On Wednesday, September 2, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its 2025-2026 Academic Accountability Results. The results show significant gains across WCPS, continuing a three-year trend of academic improvement.
- WCPS increased its overall achievement composite by 6.5 percentage points across all subjects, representing a significant one-year gain.
- WCPS was ranked #1 in the Southeast region for growth in overall achievement for last school year
- Over the past three consecutive years, WCPS has experienced the greatest cumulative growth of any school district in North Carolina.
- WCPS experienced notable growth across nearly all subject areas, with gains as high as 22% in Biology.
- Fourteen schools exceeded growth, 13 met growth, and four did not meet growth.
- Eastern Wayne Middle School earned a growth index of 100, the highest achievable growth rating, for the second consecutive year.
- Four schools exited Low-Performing Status: Brogden Primary, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Grantham Middle and Tommy’s Road Elementary.
- Nine schools improved by one full performance letter grade:
- Four schools improved from a C to a B: Carver Elementary, Eastern Wayne High, Meadow Lane Elementary and Rosewood Elementary.
- Four schools improved from a D to a C: Brogden Primary, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Grantham Middle and Tommy’s Road Elementary.
- Carver Heights Elementary improved from an F to a D.
- In total, three schools earned an A performance grade, six earned a B, 16 earned a C, four earned a D and one earned an F.
“While these continued academic gains are significant – and deserve to be recognized – we also acknowledge that there is still more work ahead in the coming year,” adds Dr. Whichard. “We remain committed to building on this momentum, continue advancing our position in the state’s academic rankings, and working to remove the small number of remaining schools that have historically appeared on the state’s low-performing list.”
Families and community members can review each school’s achievement data through the North Carolina School Report Card.
“I sincerely appreciate the hard work and commitment of our students, teachers, families, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, and community partners. Their collective efforts have directly contributed to the academic gains we are seeing across our schools. Together, we are strengthening Wayne County Public Schools and making WCPS the school choice for families,” adds Dr. Whichard.
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