SWAN QUARTER — Hyde County Schools is celebrating student achievement, academic growth and continued progress following the release of North Carolina’s 2025–2026 school accountability results.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released statewide accountability data Wednesday showing continued positive trends across North Carolina public schools, including a record-high statewide graduation rate of 88.8%, improvements on most standardized assessments and fewer schools receiving D or F School Performance Grades.

Locally, Hyde County Schools’ results reflect important areas of achievement across Ocracoke School, Mattamuskeet School and Hyde Academy, while also providing clear priorities for continued improvement, according to a press release from Hyde County Schools.

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Ocracoke School Earns B, Posts Strong Proficiency Results

Ocracoke School earned a B School Performance Grade with an overall score of 80 and met expected academic growth in both reading and mathematics.

Nearly 80% of Ocracoke students demonstrated grade-level proficiency across all tested subjects, while more than half scored at Levels 4 or 5, the state’s measure of College and Career Readiness.

The school posted particularly strong results at the high school level, where 93.5% of students demonstrated grade-level proficiency. College and Career Ready results included 85.7% in English II and 76.9% in NC Math 3. In eighth-grade science, 81.8% of students reached the College and Career Ready level.

Reading achievement was another highlight, with grade-level proficiency reaching 94.1% in sixth grade, 90% in seventh grade and 90.9% in eighth grade.

“I could not be prouder of the work happening at Ocracoke School,” Principal Jeanie Owens said. “What makes me proudest, though, is the work behind the data. We have teachers who know our students, care deeply about them, and work incredibly hard to help them grow. We have students who are learning that they can do hard things, and we have families and a community that continue to support our school.”

Owens said the school will continue focusing on mathematics achievement and using student data more intentionally to identify learning gaps and provide support.

“We are proud of where we are, but we are not settling into it,” Owens said. “We are excited about where we are going and ready to keep doing the work to move Ocracoke School forward.”

Mattamuskeet School Meets Academic Growth

At Mattamuskeet School, the 2025–2026 results marked an important milestone as the school met academic growth, reinforcing the school community’s focus on continuous improvement.

Principal Tim O’Shea, who began leading Mattamuskeet during the 2025–2026 school year, said the achievement reflects a collective commitment from students, educators, families and community partners.

“From day one, we rallied around a shared purpose and embraced a mantra close to our hearts: ‘Mattamuskeet is on the rise,’ an intentional nod to the vision of the Mattamuskeet Rising Project,” O’Shea said. “That phrase wasn’t just a slogan; it became our daily standard because our students and community matter and excellence knows no bounds.”

O’Shea credited educators and staff for their work in the classroom, families for supporting the school’s vision and partnerships with Community Schools, colleges and community organizations for helping expand opportunities for students.

“Meeting growth is a powerful validation of our collective work, but this is only the beginning,” O’Shea said. “There is no ceiling high enough to stop us from continuing to elevate our school and our kids. Mattamuskeet is truly on the rise, and the best is yet to come!”

Hyde Academy Builds on Academic and Career-Readiness Strengths

Hyde Academy’s accountability results highlighted strengths in academic achievement and career preparation while also identifying areas where the school will intensify its efforts.

More than 95% of Hyde Academy students met the state’s measure for math course rigor, while 76.9% of students taking WorkKeys earned a Silver certificate or higher. Across tested subjects, 66.7% of students demonstrated grade-level proficiency.

Dean Cara Equils said the school is pleased with those accomplishments while remaining focused on improving its 27.8% Career and College Ready rate and strengthening areas of core instruction identified through the data.

“Graduating students is only one part of our responsibility,” Equils said. “Our goal is to ensure that every student leaves Hyde Academy prepared with the academic knowledge, technical skills, credentials and confidence necessary to successfully transition into college, a career, the military or another meaningful postsecondary pathway.”

Biology emerged as a particular area of strength in the school’s proficiency data, while results in NC Math 3 showed an opportunity for targeted instructional support.

Moving forward, Hyde Academy plans to strengthen core instruction while expanding Career and Technical Education pathways, industry-recognized credential opportunities and work-based learning experiences.

“We want career and college readiness to be woven throughout the entire Hyde Academy experience rather than viewed as a separate initiative,” Equils said. “We are proud of the progress our students have made, but we are not satisfied with stopping here.”

“Our commitment is to continue raising expectations, expanding opportunities and ensuring that every Hyde Academy student graduates not only with a diploma, but with a plan and the preparation to succeed beyond our doors.”

A District Focused on Continued Growth

Superintendent Dr. Melanie Shaver said the results reflect both the progress Hyde County Schools has made and the district’s continued focus on ensuring that every student is growing, achieving and preparing for what comes next.

She stated these accomplishments were not born of chance, but built through the hard work and dedication of students, educators, school administrators, families, community partners, board members, central office staff and all stakeholders who continue to believe in what is possible for children in Hyde County. Across the district, she said, there is evidence that intentional instruction, strong relationships and high expectations are making a difference. Ocracoke continues to demonstrate strong academic achievement, Mattamuskeet meeting growth reinforces the important work underway there, and Hyde Academy is helping sharpen the district’s focus on ensuring students leave not simply as graduates, but prepared for college, careers and life.

“Our next step is to strengthen core instruction, use data more intentionally, expand meaningful learning opportunities and make certain every student has a pathway to success,” Shaver said.

For a small, rural district, Shaver said continued improvement also depends on leveraging the close relationships among schools, families and community partners that allow Hyde County Schools to respond directly to student needs.

“Our size should never determine the size of our expectations,” Shaver said. “We are building a school system where students are known, challenged and supported, and where academic learning connects to real opportunities beyond the classroom. These results give us reasons to celebrate, but more importantly, they give us clarity about the work ahead. We are proud of the progress, and we are focused on what comes next.”