Elizabethtown, NC—Bladen County Schools (BCS) is celebrating continued progress in student achievement while maintaining a strong focus on the work ahead. Results from the 2025-2026 school year reflect the dedication of students, educators, families, and staff across the district and highlight the impact of ongoing efforts to support student success. As a district, Bladen County Schools is no longer designated as low-performing.
“This is an important moment for Bladen County Schools and a reflection of the tremendous work happening across our district,” said Superintendent Dr. Jason Atkinson. “Our students, teachers, staff, families, and community have all played a role in helping us reach this milestone of no longer being designated as a low-performing district. We celebrate this progress, but we also recognize that there is more work to do. Our focus remains firmly on building on these gains and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
As the district looks ahead, these gains provide both encouragement and momentum. Bladen County Schools remain committed to building on this progress, identifying opportunities for growth, and ensuring every student has the support and opportunities needed to reach their full potential.
A standout this year is Bladen Early College High School (BECHS), the only school in the district’s history to receive an A School Performance Grade (SPG), raising its SPG from a B to A. The Early College exceeded its growth target, and increased proficiency by 21.1% from the previous year. BECHS saw improvement across all but two subgroups; however, both of those areas had already achieved 100% proficiency the previous year. “We could not be more proud of our school and what we have accomplished,” said Bladen Early College High School Principal Marc Edge. “Our students and staff continue to fly with precision and purpose daily, consistently putting in the work to achieve every goal put before them.”
District and School Highlights
Bladen Lakes Primary, Dublin Primary, and East Bladen High School all raised their School Performance Grades from D to C
East Arcadia School increased its achievement score and raised its SPG from F to D
91% of district schools saw an increase in overall proficiency
75% of district schools either met or exceeded growth
Science scores at all schools saw significant gains, averaging a 13.95 point increase per school
With monumental gains in science scores across the district, we pause to reflect on the work that made this growth possible. During the 2024–2025 school year, the state implemented new science standards, and schools did not have an opportunity to retest. As a result, scores initially declined—but those results also fueled a renewed commitment to science instruction among our teachers and administrators.
In 2025–2026, the Sandhills Regional Educational Consortium (SREC), and the district made science a priority, collaborating to develop resources for educators and providing intensive professional development opportunities. All BCS science teachers and principals participated in this work, building a shared focus on strengthening science instruction across the district.
That collective effort produced remarkable results: Bladen County Schools’ science proficiency increased by 167.4 points overall!
Building on the success of this collaborative work, Bladen County Schools and the SREC are shifting the attention to reading in 2026–2027. Just as our shared focus on science led to significant gains, we are committed to bringing that same level of collaboration, professional learning, and intentional support to reading instruction. We look forward to seeing that work translate into significant gains in reading achievement across our schools in the year ahead.
The gains achieved this year are a reflection of what is possible when our schools, educators, and regional partners work together with a shared focus on student success. While we are proud of the progress made, we know there is still work to do. As we enter the 2026–2027 school year, Bladen County Schools will build on this momentum, continuing to invest in educators, share effective practices, and focus our collective efforts on improving reading achievement. Our goal is not simply to see higher scores, but to ensure that every student has the skills and support needed to succeed.
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