GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County Schools administrators held a press conference to discuss its 2023-2024 state school performance results.
District leaders said it is in a better position than it was three years ago.
Results show it has improved in some core areas including: reading, math and science.
Superintendent Whitney Oakley said the district made those improvement in some grade levels but there is room to grow.
"While it's important to celebrate the increases, we still have a long way to go. We want all students to be able to say that their proficient in reading and math," she explained.
The performance results show 92 schools within Guilford County met or exceeded expected growth during the 2023-2024 school year.
"The number of students not meeting growth has steadily declined... close to a 50% decline," GCS Interim Chief of Staff Dr. Sonya Stephens said.
The district also said it had 10 schools with a 100% graduation rate and 12 with 90% or higher. The district credits vigorous tutoring and afterschool programs for its academic success. Dr. Stephens said the district has set a new record for itself.
"GCS saw an increase in the Cohort Graduation Rate in 2023-2024 reaching a record level of 92.2. It indicates we are moving in the right direction. Every student group increased its graduation rate compared to the 2022-2023 school year," she shared.
All while seeing growth, GCS is dealing with challenges that effects its finances.
Dr. Oakley said the district has been preparing to lose some state funding all while tackling learning gaps and a decrease in enrollment.
She explained that the district has seen an enrollment drop since the pandemic, as well as kids simply not showing up to school.
"We are still concerned that close to 1/3 of our students are missing 10 or more days of school. When students are missing that many days it becomes very challenging to make sure they get the instruction they miss. We want students in school to make sure they achieve that academic success," Dr. Oakley said.
She said state funding helped increase tutoring efforts throughout the district. As the temporary funds phase out, she said the is district is prepared to cut back on some programs. She stresses it will not end what has brought the district so much success.
"We need to continue tutoring, but we are having to narrow. We are doing less for high school and more for elementary and middle," Dr. Oakley shared.
The district said it is not a guarantee that some the downscaling will take place this school year.
The full press conference is here.