Cabarrus County Schools (CCS) students and schools posted historic academic gains during the 2025-26 school year, with student proficiency reaching an all-time high, a record number of schools earning A and B performance grades, and 32-of-40 schools improving their overall School Performance Grade score.

“These results are something our entire community can be proud of,” said CCS Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki. “They represent the work of our students, our staff, our families and the people who support them every day. What is especially encouraging is the level of the improvement. We are seeing meaningful progress across schools, grade levels and communities throughout Cabarrus County. That progress matters well beyond the classroom. 

“Strong schools support strong families, and when our students leave us prepared for college, careers, the military, and life, they become the skilled workforce, leaders and neighbors who will shape the future of Cabarrus County.”

Based on results released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), for the first time, CCS will have no schools designated as low performing schools (LPS) – the only district of the state’s ten largest school districts to have no schools on the LPS schools list.

Twenty-five schools earned an A or B, the most in district history and five more than the previous year. Twenty-one schools achieved their highest School Performance Grade ever.

Student proficiency reached 68.1 percent across all End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments, also the highest in CCS history. That represents a 4.4 percentage point increase from the previous year and is 2.5 points above the district’s pre-pandemic record of 66.6 in 2019.

CCS ranks 7th among 115 N.C. school districts in overall proficiency.

“These historic gains are a direct reflection of the unwavering commitment of our staff to ensure every child receives an excellent education,” said CCS Chief Academic Officer Sarah Reeves. “Across CCS, our educators continue to hold high expectations, respond to the individual needs of students, and remain deeply focused on continuous improvement. We are incredibly proud of this progress and, even more importantly, of the opportunities these achievements create, opening doors and expanding possibilities for every student.”

Among the 2025-26 CCS highlights released by the North Carolina Department of Instruction:

• Student proficiency reached 68.1 percent across all End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments, the highest in CCS history. That represents a 4.4 percentage point increase from the previous year and is 2.5 points above the district’s previous record.
• A record 25 schools earned an A or B School Performance Grade, including 11 A schools and 14 B schools. That is up from nine A schools and 11 B schools the previous year.
• Cabarrus County Schools achieved its highest four-year graduation rate in history at 92.5%.
• 32 of 40 schools improved their School Performance Grade score, with an average increase of 3.3 points. Fourteen schools improved by at least one full letter grade.
• 21 of 40 schools achieved their highest School Performance Grade in school history.
• 24 of 40 schools exceeded expected academic growth, up from 19 the previous year. Nine schools achieved their highest growth score ever.

Cabarrus County Schools’ high schools posted particularly strong results, with five earning an A and six earning a B. Nine of 11 high schools exceeded expected academic growth.

Some of the district’s largest year-over-year gains came at Concord Middle School, which improved 19 points, and Wolf Meadow Elementary School, which improved 18 points and two letter grades. Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute improved 14 points to a district-high School Performance Grade score of 95, while Winecoff Elementary improved 10 points. Central Cabarrus and Hickory Ridge high schools each improved eight points.

Academic growth was also widespread. Fourteen schools recorded growth scores above 4.0, led by W.R. Odell Elementary School at 9.4 (the #1 elementary school in growth in N.C. for the second straight year), Hickory Ridge Middle School at 7.7, Concord Middle School at 7.4, Wolf Meadow Elementary School at 6.9 (the #1 elementary school in math growth in N.C. and #10 in elementary growth overall) and Jay M. Robinson High School at 6.4.

The results continue a five-year trend of academic improvement across CCS. During that period, average achievement scores have increased for all students, including every reported student subgroup, by an average of 7.1 percentage points.

“We celebrate these results because of what they mean for our students,” Kopicki said. “At the same time, we know our work continues. We want every school improving and every student growing. That remains our focus, regardless of how strong the numbers may be in any one year.”