District posts highest recorded graduation rate; several schools improve letter grades and growth

Iredell‑Statesville Schools officials presented an end‑of‑year accountability overview at the Sept. 15 board meeting, reporting the district’s highest recorded graduation rate — 91.1 percent — and year‑over‑year gains in school letter grades and measured growth for many schools.

District staff said four schools improved to an A letter grade this year, an increase from two the previous year; nine schools were graded B, 13 C, six D and four F schools remained unchanged in count. Officials highlighted notable improvements that included Lakeshore Middle (not meeting to exceeding growth; progressed from D to C), Crossroads Arts and Early College and other schools that exceeded or met growth expectations.

Assistant superintendent Kelly Cooper and district staff said 20 schools exceeded or met growth targets and 24 schools increased their growth scores. Statesville High School met growth expectations this year for the first time in recent memory, officials said, and several grades showed year‑to‑year proficiency gains: fourth‑grade reading rose from 51.7% to 57.0% proficiency, and third‑grade math improved from 53.6% to 61.3%.

Cooper said the district will schedule a work session to dig deeper into the data and to present school‑level plans and interventions. The superintendent and trustees said growth measures — which the state’s accountability model weights for part of a school’s grade — offer a closer view of instructional progress than a single proficiency snapshot.

Trustees praised staff and teachers for the gains. "Growth is the key," Chairman Doug Knight said. "We can't guarantee outcomes for every student, but when we get consistent teachers in classrooms rather than substitutes, scores and growth follow." The board asked staff to prepare more detailed school‑level analyses and plans for the scheduled work session.