Cumberland County Schools recorded improvements across several key accountability measures in 2025-26, with fewer low-performing schools, higher districtwide proficiency, gains in every tested subject, and more schools receiving A, B, or C performance grades.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) designated 20 Cumberland County Schools as low-performing, down from 27 during the 2024-25 school year—a decrease of seven schools. Meanwhile, the districtwide grade-level proficiency composite rose by 4.9 points, from 50.8% to 55.7%, and the number of schools receiving A, B, or C grades increased from 54 to 60.
The accountability results released Wednesday by NCDPI include end-of-grade and end-of-course exam performance, academic growth, school performance grades, and state designations.
Cumberland’s Districtwide Proficiency Climbs
Cumberland County Schools’ (CCS) grade-level proficiency composite increased by 4.9 points, from 50.8% in 2024-25 to 55.7% in 2025-26. The statewide proficiency composite is 59.2%, according to NCDPI.
The composite represents the percentage of end-of-grade and end-of-course test results that reached Level 3 or higher—the state’s threshold for grade-level proficiency—across subjects and grade levels. It is calculated using districtwide testing results rather than by averaging the proficiency percentages of individual schools and isn’t comparable to a letter grade.
NCDPI assigns A-F performance grades to individual schools, not school districts. Individual school grades are calculated using a separate formula that combines achievement and academic growth.
In Cumberland, all seven tested subject areas recorded higher grade-level proficiency in 2025-26 than during the previous school year. The largest improvement came in NC Math 1, where proficiency increased by 10 points.
- NC Math 1: 34.4% to 44.4%
- Biology: 49.9% to 58.5%, up 8.6 points
- Science in grades 5 and 8: 58.7% to 66.4%, up 7.7 points
- Mathematics in grades 3-8: 48.2% to 53%, up 4.8 points
- English II: 58.7% to 62.7%, up 4 points
- Reading in grades 3-8: 49.7% to 53.1%, up 3.4 points
- NC Math 3: 64.3% to 65.9%, up 1.6 points
In August, Superintendent Eric Bracy told CityView that preliminary accountability results showed that “we are moving in the right direction.”
“That kind of movement does not happen by accident. It reflects focused work by principals, teachers, staff, students and families,” he said.
The Cumberland County Board of Education scheduled a press conference for Friday to discuss the new ratings. The event, set for 1:30 p.m., takes place at the William “Bill” Harrison Educational Resource Center, 396 Elementary Drive.
5 Cumberland Schools Receive A Grades
North Carolina calculates school performance grades using a formula weighted 80% toward achievement and 20% toward academic growth.
Five Cumberland County Schools received A grades:
- Cumberland Polytechnic High School: 99
- Cumberland International Early College High School: 96
- Cross Creek Early College High School: 95
- Massey Hill Classical High School: 91
- Beaver Dam Elementary School: 88
Cumberland Polytechnic, Cumberland International Early College, Cross Creek Early College, and Massey Hill Classical exceeded expected growth. Beaver Dam met expected growth.
Alger B. Wilkins High School, Howard Learning Academy, and Ramsey Street High School were evaluated under an alternative accountability model and did not receive standard A-F grades.
7 Fewer Low-Performing CCS Schools
Twenty Cumberland County Schools were designated as low-performing for 2025-26—17 elementary schools and three middle schools—compared to 27 a year earlier No Cumberland County high schools received the designation.
Nineteen received D performance grades. Walker-Spivey Elementary School received the district’s only F, a performance score of 39 and failing to meet expected growth. Of the 20 schools, 12 met expected academic growth, and eight did not.
Under North Carolina’s accountability system, a school is designated as low-performing if it receives a D or F and either meets or fails to meet expected growth. A school that receives a D or F but exceeds growth is not included.
Here is how the annual list of low-performing schools changed from 2024-25 to 2025-26:
Added to the 2025-26 List
Four schools appeared on this year’s list after not being designated as low-performing last year:
- C. Wayne Collier Elementary
- Loyd E. Auman Elementary
- South View Middle
- Westover Middle
No Longer on the List
Eleven schools that were designated as low-performing in 2024-25 were no longer on the list in 2025-26:
- Benjamin J. Martin Elementary
- Bill Hefner Elementary
- Cumberland Road Elementary
- Douglas Byrd Middle
- Elizabeth M. Cashwell Elementary
- Lucile Souders Elementary
- Luther “Nick” Jeralds Middle
- Manchester Elementary
- R. Max Abbott Middle
- Spring Lake Middle
- W.T. Brown Elementary
Remaining on the List
Sixteen schools received the low-performing designation in both years:
- Brentwood Elementary
- Cliffdale Elementary
- College Lakes Elementary
- Cumberland Mills Elementary
- Cumberland Virtual Academy K-5
- Ed V. Baldwin Elementary
- Ferguson-Easley Elementary
- J.W. Coon Elementary
- Lake Rim Elementary
- Mac Williams Middle
- Margaret Willis Elementary
- Montclair Elementary
- Morganton Road Elementary
- Walker-Spivey Elementary
- Warrenwood Elementary
- Westarea Elementary
How Campuses in District’s Consolidation Plan Performed
The results provide a final accountability snapshot of J.W. Coon and Manchester elementary schools before both campuses closed ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
J.W. Coon received a D with a performance score of 49 and did not meet expected growth. Manchester received a C with a score of 57 and met growth.
J.W. Coon students were reassigned to Brentwood and Sherwood Park elementary schools. Brentwood received a D with a score of 53 and met growth, while Sherwood Park received a C with a score of 66 and met growth.
Manchester students were reassigned to W.T. Brown, which received a C with a score of 56 and met growth, and Ponderosa, which received a C with a score of 59 and did not meet growth.
Other schools included in the district’s long-term facilities plan also posted mixed results.
Ferguson-Easley Elementary received a D with a score of 52 and met growth, while Margaret Willis Elementary received a D with a score of 47 and did not meet growth.
The school board has requested $40 million to build a new elementary school on the Ferguson-Easley campus and to close Margaret Willis.
Massey Hill Classical High School and Beaver Dam Elementary—two of the district’s A schools—appeared on an earlier list of campuses recommended for possible closure or consolidation but were later removed.
Massey Hill received a performance score of 91, while Beaver Dam received an 88.
