Wilkes County Schools Reports Academic Gains, Elimination of "D" Grades, and Rising Graduation Rates
State accountability data for the 2025–2026 school year shows broad academic growth across Wilkes County Schools, highlighted by district-wide proficiency gains, the elimination of all "D" and "F" school performance grades, and a steady rise in four-year cohort graduation rates.
According to the state report card metrics, the district’s overall performance composite increased by 5.4 percentage points from the 2024–2025 academic year. With this increase, Wilkes County ranks fourth out of 13 regional school districts and sits above North Carolina’s statewide proficiency average.
The state benchmark assessments highlighted movement among schools previously classified as low-performing. Five campuses that held a "D" grade in the prior testing cycle, which included Boomer-Ferguson Elementary, CC Wright Elementary, Mt. Pleasant Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, and West Wilkes Middle School, elevated their performance marks to a "C"; This officially removed them from the designation of a low-performing school as previously identified according to the NC School Report Card metrics.
Progress was also recorded among higher-performing campuses. Four schools, including Millers Creek Elementary, Wilkesboro Elementary, East Wilkes High, and Wilkes Central High, moved from a "C" rating to "B." Wilkes Early College High School maintained an "A" rating. Across the district's 22 campuses, 21 met or exceeded the state’s standardized growth targets. Eight of those schools earned an official designation of "Exceeded Expected Growth," including Boomer-Ferguson, Millers Creek, Moravian Falls, North Wilkesboro, and Roaring River elementaries, as well as West Wilkes Middle, North Wilkes High, and Wilkes Early College High.
A closer examination of the growth index data reveals gains across historically underserved student populations. In mathematics, growth scores for Students with Disabilities shifted from -4.54 in 2024–2025 to +3.83 in 2025–2026, moving into the category of exceeding state growth targets. Economically Disadvantaged Students saw math growth index scores move from -7.13 to +2.68, while Hispanic students climbed from -2.79 to +2.28, and English Learners
improved from -2.09 to +1.90.
Reading performance followed similar trends. Hispanic students posted a growth index shift from -3.34 to +3.68, and Economically Disadvantaged Students improved from -4.14 to +2.35. Students with Disabilities moved from a growth index of -3.91 to -0.38, successfully reaching the threshold for meeting state growth expectations.
High school performance indicators showed parallel improvements, particularly in student retention and completion. Historical cohort tracking shows the district’s four-year cohort graduation rate rose to 93.3%, up from 93.2% in 2024–2025 and 88.1% three years ago. The combined percentage of high school students meeting ACT and WorkKeys benchmarks reached 64.4%, up from 59.0% the previous year. Additionally, overall progress for English Learners rose to 42.4%, up from 36.9%.
District officials attributed the multi-grade improvements to structural changes in instructional delivery: expanded one-on-one peer coaching from district Instructional Specialist and administration, structured mentorship programs for early-career teachers, and data-driven resource allocation through the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Under this model, instructional coaches conduct regular classroom walkthroughs, co-teach, and review lesson plans alongside veteran and entry-level educators. Resources and targeted interventions are then routed to individual campuses based on ongoing academic assessments.
Dr. Westley Wood, Superintendent of Wilkes County Schools, states, "This past year’s academic results are a direct reflection of the relentless dedication, grit, and passion that define Wilkes County Schools. The daily work of our classroom teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and support staff contributed to a successful school year academically for our district. I could not be prouder of the hard work that got us here, and as we celebrate these exceptional wins, we remain energized and focused on pushing our growth even further.