Good News Spotlight

We are pleased to recognize Michelle Chadwick, our assistant director of advanced learning and STEM, for her selection to serve on the North Carolina Innovation Leadership Council for the 2026-27 school year.

This is a significant statewide recognition, as the N.C. Department of Public Instruction received nearly 400 applications from educators and education leaders across the state, and just 25 were selected to serve on the inaugural council.

Chadwick was selected to represent not just OCS, but the entire Southeast region.

The Innovation Leadership Council will bring together education leaders from across North Carolina to identify, study, evaluate, and elevate promising practices in public schools. Members will examine what is working in different communities and develop ways to share those ideas with educators and districts across the state.

The council held its inaugural meeting Sept. 22 and 23 in Wilmington, where members began developing the processes they will use to identify and share innovative practices across the state.

This is a great opportunity to have one of our leaders share Onslow County Schools’ perspective in a statewide conversation about innovation and student success, while also bringing back new ideas to benefit our schools.

Congratulations, Michelle! We are proud to have you representing OCS and the Southeast region in this important work!

We are proud to celebrate four outstanding Onslow County Schools band programs for receiving statewide recognition from the N.C. Bandmasters Association.

From Hunters Creek Middle School, Kristina McRaney earned the Program of Merit designation. Additionally, three high schools and their band directors earned the Program of Distinction designation, including Jacksonville High School’s Jessica Blanchet, Swansboro High School’s Kristen Graham, and White Oak High School’s John Russell and John Weeks.

The band directors were recognized alongside their administration during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

What makes these recognitions especially meaningful is that the N.C. Bandmasters Association designed the program to recognize excellence regardless of a school’s size, location, or available resources. These honors are not simply about being one of the biggest programs; rather, they recognize band programs that meet established standards for musical excellence, student achievement, community involvement, and advocacy.

Congratulations to all our recognized band programs! We are so proud to see you making beautiful music, building confidence, and creating opportunities for our students!

We are proud to celebrate two Onslow County Schools choral educators and their outstanding programs for receiving statewide recognition from the N.C. Music Educators Association.

Rebekah Lockhart, choral director at Hunters Creek Middle School, and Lindsay Williams, choral director at Swansboro Middle School, have each received the Exemplary Choral Program designation through the N.C. Music Educators Association Middle School Choral Recognition Program.

The recognition celebrates educators who bring exceptional dedication, leadership, and passion to their students and to the art of choral music – creating experiences that build confidence, creativity, collaboration, and a love of music.

Ms. Lockhart and Ms. Williams were recognized alongside their administration, HCMS Principal Amy Evans and SBMS Principal Dr. Alicia Hodal, during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

Congratulations, Rebekah and Lindsay! We are so proud to see you representing Onslow County Schools, and even prouder of the opportunities you are creating for our students to find their voices and unlock their potential!

For the second consecutive year, the Onslow Early College High School has earned a spot among the best high schools in North Carolina in the U.S. News & World Report's Best High Schools rankings.

As of the 2026-27 rankings, OECHS is #89 in the U.S. and #3 in North Carolina, showing a continued trajectory of growth and excellence.

U.S. News & World Report ranked nearly 18,000 public high schools out of more than 27,000 that were reviewed. Schools were evaluated on six key indicators, including college readiness, curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates. OECHS excelled across all six.

Each OECHS sophomore is required to take two Advanced Placement courses, and during the 2025-2026 school year, 91% of students scored proficient on their AP Environmental Science exams, and 93% of students scored proficient on their AP World History exams. Additionally, the senior class's PSAT/NMSQT scores were 254 points higher than the state average, with 42 out of the 45-student senior class qualifying for awards through the College Board's National Recognition Awards.

The OECHS Class of 2027 also earned an average ACT score of 28, placing them among the top three performers in North Carolina.

But the early college's success is not limited to their time in OCS. Nearly all of the Class of 2026 graduates are continuing their education at 16 different institutions, with two of them choosing military service, one of whom even entered the U.S. Navy Nuclear Program.

We are so proud of our Owls, whose success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students, staff, faculty and families!

White Oak High School's Future Farmers of America program has been awarded a $13,700 grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to fund a student-built arboretum featuring native plants and a mapped and digitally cataloged plant collection.

Allison Jennings, Eastern Regional Agriculture Education Coordinator with the N.C. FFA Association at N.C. State University, presented the check to WOHS agricultural education teachers Megan Gates and Logan Mobley and some of their students.

The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission was created in 2000 as part of the state's master settlement agreement with the tobacco manufacturing companies. The purpose is to fund grant programs that encourage a strong agricultural industry in North Carolina by striving to make an impact on producers.

This year, the commission awarded $300,000 to the N.C. FFA to improve high school agricultural programs across the state, with a total of 23 agricultural education programs and FFA chapters set to receive grants.

The student-built arboretum will be a long-term resource that is expected to strengthen student engagement and conservation awareness, as well as support hands-on learning that will build career-ready skills.

Congratulations to Megan, Logan, and the entire WOHS community. We can't wait to see the finished project!