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Superintendent: Beaufort County Schools removed from state'low-performing list; Washington Elementary design, $42M grant on track
Summary
The Beaufort County Schools superintendent told commissioners the district has been removed from the NC Department of Public Instruction's low-performing list, highlighted strong year-over-year school-performance gains and provided an update on the Washington Elementary project, funded largely by a $42 million state capital grant with county match to follow.
Beaufort County Schools reported measurable gains in school performance and outlined progress on a new Washington Elementary School project during the county commissioners meeting.
The superintendent told the board the district has been removed from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's low-performing designation after several schools increased their performance scores; she said 9 of 12 graded schools "met or exceeded growth," and three schools registered seven-point increases in school performance scores. The superintendent said the district moved out of the low-performing category after a multi-year improvement plan and credited principals, teachers, staff and community partners for the gains.
On facilities, the superintendent reviewed the Washington Elementary (pre-K through grade 3) project. She said Hite Associates prepared design documents and the system won a needs-based public school capital fund grant of $42,000,000 from the state; the superintendent stated the county commissioners are expected to provide roughly $10,000,000 in local match as part of the project timeline. She described staged reviews with the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Insurance, an anticipated bid period in October to November, and an 18-month construction timeline that could place doors opening in August 2026.
The superintendent also reviewed site logistics for the pre-K/3 configuration: separate entry points for car-rider lines, bus lines and a dedicated pre-K drop-off to improve safety and minimize mixing of very young children with larger car lines. She emphasized that no capital expenditures from the state grant have been spent to date and that invoices and final contractor decisions will follow the county's review and board approvals.
What happens next: principals will present school-improvement plans to the Board of Education starting Sept. 17; county staff and the school system will coordinate on the project ordinance and budget alignment after bids return during the fall bid cycle.
Provenance: school-performance announcement and Washington Elementary update appear in the transcript beginning around SEG 831 and extend through SEG 1110.
