District Spotlight
Durham's Chronic Absence Recovery Has Stalled at 37%
Durham Public Schools improved from a 41% peak to 37%, then flatlined. The district has the highest chronic rate among NC's 30,000+ student districts.
North Carolina
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of North Carolina, grounded in North Carolina Department of Education data.
NC Students With Disabilities Gained 22 Graduation Points Since 2006. The Gap to the State Average Held at 15.
North Carolina students who receive special education services graduate at 71.6%, up nearly 22 points since 2006. But the gap to the state average has held near 15 points.
Hispanic Students Climbed From 52% to 83% in 18 Years
Hispanic students in North Carolina have cut the white-Hispanic graduation gap from 21 points to 6.5 while their cohort grew nearly fivefold. A 2024 breakout may signal the end of a 7-year plateau.
NC's English Learners Went from Below-Average to Above-Average Absence
English learners in North Carolina had lower chronic absence than the state average before COVID. Now they are 3.9 points above it, a complete reversal.
The White-Black Graduation Gap Halved, But Progress Has Stalled
North Carolina cut the white-Black graduation gap from 13 points to 5 in a decade. Then it stopped narrowing. The remaining gap means about 1,800 Black students per year who would graduate at white rates.
More Coverage
District Spotlight
Guilford County: From 74% to a Record 92%, Outpacing Every Large NC District
Guilford County Schools just posted a record 92.2% graduation rate, the highest of any large NC district. The state's third-largest system hasn't dipped below 89% since 2016.
Equity
NC's Black-White Chronic Absence Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID
North Carolina's Black-White chronic absenteeism gap widened from 6.7 to 11.7 points after COVID, and every racial gap followed the same pattern.
Graduation Rate
North Carolina's Foster Care Graduation Rate Sits 31 Points Below the State Average
Students in foster care in North Carolina graduated at 55.4% in 2024, more than 31 points below the state average. The gap has widened since 2018 even as overall graduation held steady.
District Spotlight
Charlotte-Mecklenburg: How North Carolina's Largest District Fell Behind
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools once led its peers in graduation rate. Eight years later, CMS trails Wake by 7 points and Guilford by nearly 8, with the state's largest cohort of non-graduates.
Graduation Rate
North Carolina's 19-Year Graduation Miracle: 68% to 87%, Then a Wall
North Carolina's graduation rate climbed nearly 19 points in 11 years, one of the nation's most dramatic improvements. Then it stopped. The state hasn't gained a single point in seven years.
Absence
Only 6 of 201 NC Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
Just 3% of North Carolina districts with 500+ students have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism levels. Every large district remains far above its baseline.
Absence
One in Four NC Students Chronically Absent as Recovery Loses Steam
North Carolina's chronic absenteeism rate dropped to 25% but the pace of improvement has more than halved, leaving 391,065 students missing a month of school.
