While Cumberland County Schools saw stagnant test scores last school year, the district continued to lag behind statewide proficiency rates.
During the 2024-2025 school year, 50.8% of public school students in the county performed at or above grade level. The figure was 50.9% in 2023-2024 and 49.3% the prior year.
The scores were released on Sept. 3 during a State Board of Education meeting. Statewide, 55% of students were proficient, up from 54.2%. But the scores were still below those seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018-2019, 58.8% of North Carolina students were proficient.
In a press release about the data, Cumberland County Schools celebrated some gains and acknowledged areas for improvement. Four schools — Loyd Auman Elementary, Pine Forest Middle, Westover Middle and Douglas Byrd High — were removed from North Carolina’s list of low-performing schools. However, the overall number of schools on the low-performing list increased, from 15 in the 2024-2025 school year to 27 schools in the current school year.
The low-performing designation is established by the state as a school that received a “D” or “F” performance grade and had a school growth score of either “met expected growth” or “not met expected growth.
Of the district’s 86 schools, most schools receive grades of B, C or D. At least one got an F: Douglas Byrd Middle.
Most schools in the district, or 78%, met or exceeded growth standards for academic performance. The statewide average is around 71%.
“There are bright spots in these results, but we know there is still much more work ahead,” CCS Superintendent Eric Bracy said. “Our students are counting on us to rise to this moment. We are committed to ensuring that no school in the district is on the low-performing list and that student proficiency rises to place us among the highest-performing school districts in North Carolina. The goal is clear: every student must leave our schools prepared to succeed in life.”
Leaders from the school district are expected to present a plan to the Board of Education “with specific actions, timelines and supports to accelerate improvement across every school,” and will specifically work towards improving metrics at low-performing schools, according to CCS.
Here are some key points for Cumberland County Schools:
Test scores up
- 49.7% of students in third through eighth grades were proficient in reading tests last school year, up from 48.6% the prior year.
- 48.2% of students in third through eighth grades were proficient in math tests, up from 47.1%.
Racial disparities
- Asian students saw the highest proficiency rate in 2024-2025, at 75.7%.
- 65.9% of white students were proficient.
- 55.7% of students with two more races were proficient.
- 51.5% of Hispanic and Latino students were proficient.
- 42.9% of American Indian students were proficient.
- 41.3% of Black students were proficient.
Gender disparities
- 52.4% of female students were proficient, compared to 49.3% of male students.
Military students
- 68.4% of military-connected students were proficient.
Other factors
- More than 95% of academically and gifted students were proficient.
- 42% of economically disadvantaged students were proficient.
- 35.5% of students in foster care were proficient.
- 33.3% of migrant students were proficient.
- 27.8% of Englisher-learner students were proficient.
- 28.6% of homeless students were proficient.
- 16.3% of students with disabilities were proficient.
To see how individual schools performed, see charts from The News & Observer and WRAL.
