BY KARISSA MILLER

While some of Iredell-Statesville Schools low-performing schools didn’t achieve grade-level proficiency in reading or math last year, district leaders are hopeful that schools are trending in the right direction based on testing data from the 2024-2025 school year.

The board will hear a special presentation titled “Students of Poverty and the Effects on Low Performing Schools” on Monday during the Committee of the Whole meeting.

The meeting, located at 350 Old Murdock Road in Troutman, will begin at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, but there is not time allotted for public comment at this meeting.

Based on standardized test scores from the 2023-2024 school year, I-SS has 13 low-performing schools. A majority of the schools are Title I schools, where students are from low-income families.

Many of the district’s low-performing schools are making progress; however, over the past couple of years the schools have faced serious challenges from the pandemic with disruptions to students’ social and emotional development to teachers leaving the profession.

During Monday’s meeting, the I-SS curriculum team, along with district principals, will focus on identifying district data trends as well as cover many other topics, including:

• What the district’s data shows;
• The criteria for low-performing schools;
• Support provided to low-performing schools;
• Challenges shared by the principals; and
• Further support needed

Weathers Creek Update

The other major presentation will be an update on the new Weathers Creek High School, which is slated to open in August 2027.

I-SS Chief Operations Officer Mark Shinkaruk will make a presentation on early site work, grading and the groundbreaking ceremony. He will also provide a budget update on the project.

Funding for the news high school provided by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners does not cover construction of athletic facilities. I-SS does not have sufficient funds to build athletic fields and stadiums, which are in the second phase of the project.

The school board is expected to discuss how they will provide athletic opportunities for students if the school opens without these facilities.

Redistricting

Shinkaruk will also discuss redistricting. I-SS has partnered with Western Piedmont Council of Governments and Centralina Regional Council to assist in the process of redrawing school district boundaries.