By Ben Rappaport
Most school districts in North Carolina’s Border Belt experienced more learning loss than the state overall since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, a new report shows.
Students in the Bladen, Columbus and Scotland county public schools saw a bigger decline in math and reading scores between 2019 and 2024, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard. At Scotland County Schools, students lost about one academic year in math and more than a year in reading. That compares to the statewide figures of about half a year in math and three-quarters of a year in reading.
The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, released its third annual national report last week for students in third through eighth grades. North Carolina ranked 43rd in the nation for reading recovery between 2019 and 2024. It fared better in math, ranking 26th.
“The continued decline in reading is a flashing red light,” Thomas Kane, a Harvard economics professor and project leader, told the Border Belt Independent in an email. “It was a surprise to many of us, although there is evidence that it started even before the pandemic.”
Kane said students typically learn vocabulary and reading skills at home and math skills in school. Social media or new statewide literacy efforts could be partly to blame for a decline in reading, he said.
Nationally, the wealthiest school districts are nearly four times more likely to have recovered in both math and reading than the lowest-income districts. Socioeconomic and racial disparities in math achievement have grown, according to the report.
“The majority of our students are facing a lot of educational hurdles even before the pandemic,” said Laura Hunter, director of curriculum and instruction at Columbus County Schools, where about 74% of students get free or reduced-price lunch. “But we know that the best way to overcome those challenges is targeted and focused instruction.”
Hunter said Columbus County Schools has implemented a new curriculum to help bridge socioeconomic and racial disparities.
While the data might paint a bleak picture, there are a few bright spots across the Border Belt. Whiteville City Schools had less learning loss in math and reading compared to similar districts, and students there are nearly at pre-pandemic levels in math.
Robeson County schools were further behind their peer districts — those of similar size and demographics — before the pandemic, but they have narrowed the gap significantly since 2019.
The report also highlights the role of chronic absenteeism, which can slow the pace of academic recovery. Statewide, chronic absenteeism declined from a high in 2022 but is still up 11% compared to 2019, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute.
The continued learning loss is especially alarming, Education Recovery Scorecard researchers said, because 2024 marked the final year of pandemic-era federal relief funding. North Carolina received $5.6 billion for K-12 schools, roughly $3,600 per student. The money was used to recruit and retain staff and aided catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring programs.
Schools could face a drop in federal funding after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month that would prioritize freeing money to expand school choice for private and charter schools. Trump is also expected to largely dismantle the Department of Education, which currently accounts for 20% — about $3.9 billion — of total school funding in North Carolina, according to Axios.
Below is a look at some highlights of the Education Recovery Scorecard data for school districts in the Border Belt. Click on the name a district’s name to see the full report.
Bladen County Schools
- Students in Bladen County Schools are about three-quarters of a grade level behind in math and one and a quarter grade levels behind in reading compared to pre-pandemic scores.
- Similar districts — Lenoir County Public Schools, Person County Schools, Martin County Schools, Caswell County Schools and Tyrrell County Schools — lost about a third of a grade level in math and three-quarters of a grade level in reading.
- Chronic absenteeism increased by 9% since 2019.
- Learning loss is most prevalent among female students, who lost one grade level in math and almost two grade levels in reading.
Columbus County Schools
- Students in Columbus County Schools lost nearly two-thirds of a grade level in math and more than one grade level in reading compared to pre-pandemic scores. .
- Similar districts — Cleveland County Schools, Bladen County Schools, Caswell County Schools, Pamlico County Schools and Tyrrell County Schools — lost about half of a grade level in math and more than three-quarters of a grade level in reading.
- Chronic absenteeism in the district has increased by 14% since 2019.
- Learning loss has been greatest among Black students, who lost more than one grade level in both math and reading between 2019 and 2024.
Whiteville City Schools
- Students in Whiteville City Schools lost about half of a grade level in math and one and a quarter grade levels in reading between 2019 and 2024.
- Similar districts — Richmond County Schools, Beaufort County Schools, Transylvania County Schools, Clinton City Schools, Roanoke Rapids City Schools — lost about half of a grade level in math and one grade level in reading.
- Chronic absenteeism in the district is up 3% since 2019.
- In math, white students scored one grade level above pre-pandemic national averages, while Black students scored one grade level below national averages.
- Low-income students lost one and a half grade levels in reading between 2019 and 2024.
Public Schools of Robeson County
- Students in Robeson County schools lost about a third of a grade level in math and one grade level in reading between 2019 and 2024.
- Similar districts — Onslow County Schools, Hoke County Schools, Scotland County Schools, Swain County Schools, and Graham County Schools — lost about one and a third grade levels in math and one and a half grade levels in reading.
- Chronic absenteeism has increased by 17% in the district since 2019.
- In 2024, students scored on average more than one and three quarters grade levels below pre-pandemic national averages in math and nearly two and three quarters grade levels below the national average in reading.
- Learning loss is greatest among Hispanic students who lost three quarters of a grade level in math and one grade level in reading between 2019 and 2024.
Scotland County Schools
- Students in Scotland County Schools lost one grade level in math and one grade level in reading between 2019 and 2024.
- Similar districts —Richmond County Schools, Clinton City Schools, Roanoke Rapids City Schools, Hertford County Schools and Mount Airy City Schools — lost about three quarters of a grade level in math and one and a half grade levels in reading.
- Chronic absenteeism has increased by 13% since 2019.
- Learning loss is greatest among low-income students, who lost one grade level in math and one grade level in reading between 2019 and 2024.