The Buzz Around Wayne County

13 THE BUZZ AROUND WAYNE COUNTY JUNE 2026 Good News from Education Scoreboard on Wayne County Public Schools In the spring of 2023, WCPS was identified by the state as a low-performing school district, with more than 50% of its schools below state expectations. Dr. Marc Whichard, a North Carolina superintendent with turnaround experi- ence, was hired that year and began as superintendent on July 1, 2023. WCPS exited low-performing district status in his first year. By the end of his third year, the district had climbed from 91st of 115 North Carolina districts to 61st, posted the highest-growth high school and highest-growth middle school in the state simultaneously, and saw Eastern Wayne Middle School move from an F to a C in a single year. The district achieved these gains while operating on a 2023-24 fiscal year state budget, with North Carolina per-pupil funding ranked among the low- est in the nation and teacher pay the lowest in the Southeast. District leaders project a continued climb into the low 40s for the 2025-26 results, more than 50 positions higher than three years ago. Superintendent Whichard established "non-negotiables" for all schools, with clear accountability at every level for moving student outcomes forward. He visits one to two schools per day without advance notice, sitting in the back of classrooms to observe instruction and student response firsthand Senior district leaders meet monthly with principals of low-performing schools to report on what they are doing to move student learning forward The district trains teachers and principals to use benchmark assessments, common formative assessments (CFAs), and the EVAAS system, which tracks growth projections for individual students based on prior achievement, to identify at-risk students in real time and reteach where students show gaps in proficiency. The district holds principals accountable for maintaining orderly schools and consistently supports principals in backing their teachers. The district operates on the principle that inspection must follow expectation. Clear expectations are paired with accountability for results. Keep up the good work. YOU DID IT!!! CLASS OF 2026

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