This story originally published at The 9th Street Journal.

Durham Public Schools is making considerable strides in student and school performance, though graduation rates continue to slip, according to newly released state data on the 2025-2026 school year. 

The district’s graduation rate sits at a 10-year low of 80.3%—the fifth-lowest in North Carolina, where the average rate is 88.8%. 

Hispanic students and students in foster care were disproportionately affected, with 71.7% and 44.4% of them graduating in four years respectively. 

Still, more than half of Durham students tested proficiently, the highest rate since the 2013-2014 school year. Proficiency levels have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with improvements across all grade levels and subjects, including reading, mathematics, and science. 

The district released a statement on Wednesday hailing “historic student performance gains.” 

“We are extremely pleased with the outstanding results,” said Superintendent Anthony Lewis in the press release. “We thank and applaud the Durham community for standing with us … as we continue to pursue and increase academic excellence for all students.” 

Durham schools have also seen improvements in their performance grades, appearing to return to pre-pandemic levels. 

Since 2014, North Carolina has assigned performance grades ranging from A through F to public schools across the state. The grade is based on two components: achievement scores (80%) and growth scores (20%). Schools with overall grades of D or F are considered “low-performing.” 

Last year, more than two-thirds of Durham schools earned an A, B, or C rating, the highest proportion in five years. And for the first time on record, no school earned an F rating. 

Y. E. Smith Elementary and Eastway Elementary, two schools slated for potential consolidation, both earned D ratings. Eno Valley Elementary, which has been mired in controversy over a student abuse case, improved to a C rating for the first time in five years. The 9th Street Journal previously reported the school replaced its principal after she and two other DPS administrators were criminally charged related to their handling of an incident in which a student with special needs was found tied to a chair.

Of the roughly 2,500 schools in North Carolina, 11 Durham schools ranked in the top fifth for academic growth. Overall, City of Medicine Academy ranked 14th and J.D. Clement Early College ranked 98th in the state.

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