Washington County Schools

Washington County Schools is a small, high-poverty district in northeastern North Carolina serving 1,024 students across three public schools: Washington County Elementary School (grades PK–5), Washington County High (grades 6–12), and Washington Early College High (grades 9–12). The district ranks 198th out of 246 North Carolina districts, placing it in the 20th percentile with a 1-star rating, and more than 95% of students at every school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The district's two high-school options sit at opposite extremes. Washington Early College High is the clear standout, ranking in the 78th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. It posts proficiency rates well above state averages — 89.5% in Math III and 73.3% in Biology — and its graduation rate is 91.3%, above the state's 88.8%. Only 5.5% of its students are chronically absent. In contrast, Washington County High ranks near the bottom of the state in the 7th percentile with 0 stars. Its graduation rate is just 79.7%, and its proficiency rates trail dramatically: 32.4% in Math III and only 15.7% in Biology. Chronic absenteeism there is 44.5%. Notably, Washington County High serves grades 6 through 12 because the district has no standalone middle school, so its low middle-school math scores — as low as 23.5% proficiency in 7th grade — are also factored into its high-school ranking.

Meanwhile, Washington County Elementary School has seen its state ranking fall sharply, from the 41st percentile in 2023–2024 to just the 10th percentile in 2025–2026. Every tested subject trails the state average, with 3rd-grade reading at 44.4% versus 55.6% statewide and 5th-grade science at 43.5% versus 67.7% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is a serious systemic challenge at the two traditional schools, where roughly two in five students are chronically absent — nearly double the state's 24.2% rate. The early college proves that such a high-poverty population can still achieve strong results, having built a culture of attendance and academic success that its larger district counterparts have not yet matched. However, with just 72 students, that bright spot is too small to offset the struggles affecting the roughly 950 students attending the district's two traditional schools.