Brunswick County Schools Posts Major Growth Gains Across the District

Brunswick County Schools is celebrating significant academic gains across the district following the release of North Carolina’s 2025-26 school accountability results.

This year, 14 of 20 Brunswick County Schools met or exceeded expected growth, compared with eight schools last year. That represents six additional schools reaching the state’s growth standard and moves the district from 40% of schools meeting or exceeding growth last year to 70% this year.

The results also mark an important milestone in the BCS Strategic Plan. The district’s path toward having 100% of schools meet or exceed growth by 2029 called for reaching 70% during the 2025-26 school year. Brunswick County Schools has now met that benchmark.

The gains reflect a continued focus on school leadership, classroom instruction, the implementation of a common instructional framework and a strategic plan that provides schools with clear goals and a shared direction. At the center of that work are the teachers, principals and staff members who support students every day.

None of that progress happens without the teachers and staff who do the work every day. Brunswick County Schools thanks its educators for their commitment to students, their focus on strong instruction and the countless hours they put into helping students grow. These results are a reflection of that work in classrooms across the district.

The districtwide growth numbers are only part of the story.

Five schools exceeded expected growth, up from two the previous year. Eighteen of 20 schools posted a higher school performance score than last year, while seven schools moved up a full letter grade or accountability designation.

Brunswick County Schools also reduced the number of schools identified as low-performing from five to two.

Several schools posted particularly notable year-over-year gains:

• Leland Middle School moved from a D to a C while improving from not meeting growth expectations to exceeding growth expectations.
• South Brunswick High School moved from a C to a B and from not meeting growth expectations to exceeding growth expectations.
• Town Creek Middle School moved from not meeting growth expectations to exceeding growth expectations.
• Bolivia Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School and Cedar Grove Middle School each improved from a D to a C.
• Waccamaw School improved from a C to a B and from meeting growth expectations to exceeding growth expectations.
• The COAST recorded the district’s largest school performance score increase, improving 30 points while moving from an F designation to a D and from not meeting growth expectations to meeting growth expectations.

The results also show substantial movement among schools that did not meet expected growth during the previous school year. Of the 12 schools that did not meet growth in 2024-25, nine met or exceeded expected growth in 2025-26.

Growth is one part of North Carolina’s school accountability system. Achievement measures how students perform against state academic standards, while growth measures the academic progress students make based on their previous performance. North Carolina uses EVAAS to measure that progress and identifies schools as exceeding, meeting or not meeting growth expectations.

Because achievement accounts for 80% of a school’s performance score and growth accounts for 20%, families and community members are encouraged to look beyond a single letter grade when reviewing school results.

No single number tells the entire story of what is happening inside a school. Taken together, achievement, growth and year-over-year results provide a clearer picture of where students and schools are succeeding and where continued improvement is needed.

Over the coming days, Brunswick County Schools will highlight districtwide and school-level results and share more about the gains taking place across elementary, middle, high and choice schools.

Growth You Can See. Progress You Can Measure.

Explore the complete 2025-26 district data at www.bcswan.net/parents/district-data.