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Number 10
Back to School Letter from Superintendent Green
"Dear North Carolina Students, Families & Educators:
Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! As your State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I am thrilled to welcome each of you back to what promises to be an extraordinary year of learning, growth, and achievement in North Carolina's Public Schools."
Read the full letter here.
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Number 9
Register to Crunch! 🍎
Plan ahead for the 2025 #NCCrunch - registration is now live! Through the NC Crunch, kids and adults can taste and learn about North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables with their schools, early care and education sites, organizations, families and communities for #FarmtoSchoolMonth in October. The NC Crunch is also an opportunity to thank all those involved in feeding our communities.
Sign up to receive a free guide with tips and resources to help you plan for the NC Crunch. In addition to the guide, the NC Crunch logo, flyer, “I crunched” sticker template, social media graphics and more are available at the link below.
Learn more, access free resources and register for the #NCCrunch.
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Number 8
EdNC: "The Impact of Free School Meals for all Students in One Rural NC County"
"As students return to school in Jackson County, they will all receive school breakfast and school lunch at no cost. Now in its second consecutive year of operation, these no-cost meals are funded by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, which provided more than $500,000 last school year to ensure all students could eat for free.
'When our students and families don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, they’re free to focus on learning, growing, and thriving,' said Superintendent Dr. Dana Ayers in a press release. 'We’re so thankful for our partnership with the Board of Commissioners and their continued investment in the well-being of our students.'
Laura Cabe, school nutrition director for Jackson County Public Schools, said she and other district leaders first started to imagine how to offer no-cost meals to all students in 2022 after the federal pandemic-era waivers that provided free meals to all students expired."
Read the full story here.
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Number 6
Informational Webinars and Office Hours for Districts and Schools Designated Low-Performing
As the results of the SY2025 state assessments are released at the September State Board of Education meeting, districts and schools identified as low-performing will have opportunities to learn more about supports, expectations and next steps. We are pleased to offer informational webinars and virtual office hours to provide guidance and answer your questions.
These sessions are designed to ensure districts and schools have the information and resources needed to plan effectively and strengthen instructional practices. We encourage all superintendents, principals and district teams to participate.
Learn more and register here.
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Number 5
NC AI Solve-a-Thon Statewide Challenge 🧑💻
NCDPI's Office of Digital Teaching and Learning is launching the NC AI Solve-a-Thon—a first-of-its-kind statewide challenge for students in grades 6–12! This initiative offers students an opportunity to build creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and responsible technology skills.
Teams will:
🔍 Identify a local issue
🧠 Create an AI-powered solution
🎤 Pitch ideas this November; finalists compete Feb. 11, 2026, at the NCED Connect Symposium.
Key Dates:
- Registration opens Sept. 2
- Information webinars: Sept. 2 and Sept. 8. Both webinars begin at 3 p.m.
Learn more and find additional details here.
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Number 4
District Highlight: Bertie County Schools - EdNC "In Bertie County Schools, Homegrown Leadership is Making a Lasting Impact"
"Every day, Dr. Otis Smallwood walks through the doors of his alma mater — Bertie High School — which now houses the Bertie County Schools (BCS) central office. He used to walk the halls as a student, but now he walks them as an educator.
Smallwood grew up here, went to school here, worked here for 14 years, then left for a position in a neighboring county in 2008, but returned to BCS for good in 2019 as superintendent. In 2025, six years after coming home, Smallwood was named Northeast Regional Superintendent of the Year.
He accepted the award on behalf of every superintendent in the region and with the teachers and students in Bertie County Schools in mind. He believes this accolade is a representation of his district and his region, not just himself.
'I think sometimes people look at Bertie as the underdog,' he said during a conversation in May 2025 before receiving the honor.
In rural districts, funding and enrollment can be low, and that impacts what resources are available for students. For BCS, that challenge requires more creativity and a community-focused approach to problem-solving."
Read the full story here.
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Number 3
North Carolina Public Schools Recognized as Top Schools for 2025 by U.S. News and World Report 🌟
Congratulations to the following North Carolina schools for being recognized as the top schools for 2025 according to U.S. News and World Report.
The top 10 North Carolina high schools include:
- The Early College at Guilford (Guilford County Schools)
- The STEM Early College at NC A&T (Guilford County Schools)
- Onslow Early College High (Onslow County Schools)
- Philip J. Weaver Ed Center(Guilford County Schools)
- Raleigh Charter High School, Raleigh
- Discovery High (Newton-Conover City Schools)
- Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Academy (Buncombe County Schools)
- Green Level High (Wake County Public School System)
- Woods Charter School, Chapel Hill
- Wake STEM Early College High (Wake County Public School System)
The top 10 North Carolina middle schools include:
- Brown Summit Middle (Guilford County Schools)
- Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, Charlotte
- Marvin Ridge Middle School (Union County Public Schools)
- The Brawley School (Iredell-Statesville Schools)
- Greensboro Academy, Greensboro
- Mills Park Middle (Wake County Public School System)
- Weddington Middle (Union County Public Schools)
- Oakwood Middle IB School (Iredell-Statesville Schools)
- Peak Charter Academy, Apex
- Davis Drive Middle (Wake County Public School System)
The top 10 North Carolina elementary schools include:
- Lincoln Academy (Guilford County Schools)
- Metrolina Regional Academy, Charlotte
- White Oak Elementary,(Wake County Public School System)
- Riverbend Elementary (Haywood County Schools)
- Providence Spring Elementary (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
- Green Hope Elementary (Wake County Public School System)
- Wrightsville Beach Elementary (New Hanover County Schools)
- Pine Lake Preparatory, Mooresville
- Masonboro Elementary (New Hanover County Schools)
- Rea View Elementary (Union County Public Schools)
Learn more about the U.S. News and World Report rankings:
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Number 2
Video: Superintendent Green Talks Back to School with Orange County Schools Elementary Student 🏫
Superintendent Mo Green visited Hillsborough Elementary (Orange County Schools) to talk first-day excitement with Carter and share a heartfelt welcome for students, families and staff across North Carolina!
Watch the video here.
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Number 1
NCDPI's Celebrate the Good Blog: "Producing Global Leaders Across Public Schools" 🌎
"When North Carolina students stroll across the stage at graduation, how many know that the world is waiting for them? The Office of Global Education at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) works to ensure every public school student graduates ready to live, work and contribute in an interconnected world.
More than 1,500 foreign firms call North Carolina home, including 515 that have announced new or expanding projects over the last 10 years, according to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. That’s more than 66,000 new jobs that will need to be filled."
Read the full blog post here.
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