Emsley A Laney High

Emsley A Laney High is a large, open-access public high school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving 2,243 students across grades 9–12 as part of New Hanover County Schools. The school’s biggest strengths are graduation and reading: its 91.5% graduation rate beats both the district (89.4%) and state (88.8%) averages, and its English II proficiency (70.7%) also tops the state’s 64.6%. For parents, this points to a school that does a solid job moving students to a diploma and building strong literacy skills.

At the same time, Laney faces serious challenges. Chronic absenteeism affects roughly 38% of students — more than 800 kids missing 18 or more school days a year — well above the district’s and state’s 24% rates. Math is a recurring weak spot, with only 39% of students proficient in Math I, below the district (47.6%) and state (42.1%). About 95% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school’s effectiveness for historically underserved groups — including English Language Learners, special-education students, and low-income students — lands in the bottom quarter of North Carolina schools serving similar populations.

Nearby comparisons add useful context. John T Hoggard High, only about 7 miles away, serves a mostly middle-income student body and posts higher test scores in every subject. But Laney outperforms New Hanover High, which faces nearly identical poverty and absenteeism challenges — Laney’s graduation rate is 91.5% versus 81.6%, and its English II and math scores are well ahead. Small magnets like Wilmington Early College High show strong results, but they serve a few hundred self-selected students rather than an open-access neighborhood school. In short, Laney is a high-poverty school that graduates students well and teaches reading effectively, but needs real work on attendance, math, and supporting its most vulnerable learners.