Moving the needle: 23 Harnett County schools show academic gains

LILLINGTON, N.C. — Harnett County Schools announced Wednesday that 23 of the district’s 26 schools showed gains in overall performance during the 2025-26 school year.

The announcement comes as the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its 2025-26 North Carolina school accountability results Wednesday morning.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Ten schools improved their School Performance Grade by one letter grade from the previous year.
• Seventeen of the district’s 25 eligible schools met or exceeded expected growth.
• Districtwide, the report shows a 5.4% increase in proficiency, with year-over-year improvement in 17 of the 19 academic subjects assessed.

“We are incredibly proud of this year’s results and the gains we are making as a district,” said Chris Pearson, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “Raising student achievement is hard work, but our students and staff continue to show what is possible through focus and dedication. Our teachers, administrators and support staff show up every day and give their best to our students, and we cannot thank them enough for their efforts.”

As results were released Wednesday, many schools held impromptu pep rallies to recognize the hard work of students, teachers and staff.

“While we know there is more to a student’s educational experience than test scores, stronger academic outcomes open doors for our students and better equip them for the journey ahead,” Pearson added. “Harnett County Schools has tremendous momentum, and we have already begun the work of building on these results for next year. Today’s celebrations are well earned and show what is possible when we work together on behalf of every student.”

Statewide, NCDPI also reported positive outcomes. North Carolina’s graduation rate reached another record high, rising to 88.8% for the 2025-26 school year. The state also reported a three-year high in student proficiency on end-of-grade and end-of-course tests.

You can read NCDPI’s full release here.

Additional information about Harnett County Schools’ 2025-26 accountability results will be released following the Harnett County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8.