Four North Carolina public schools were announced today as inaugural statewide Blue Ribbon Schools award winners, a program created by North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) to continue the tradition of recognizing and highlighting schools that are excelling in academic success.
Press Releases
For the 2025-26 school year, 212 schools across North Carolina have been selected and approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). Every North Carolina school that applied was selected and approved to participate.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Action for Healthy Kids recently announced recipients of the Healthy Meal Incentive (HMI) Awards. Fourteen North Carolina school districts received recognition with either Trailblazer or Innovation HMI Awards.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is partnering with the national AI Innovation Index, an initiative of AI for Equity, to measure and accelerate artificial intelligence literacy among PreK-12 students and staff.
With the official launch of North Carolina’s Skills for the Future project this month, four North Carolina school districts are at the forefront of a national effort to measure and incorporate durable skills into classrooms.
North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to the annually released test data that was presented to the State Board of Education today.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and State Board of Education (SBE) launched "Achieving Educational Excellence," a comprehensive strategic plan that sets an ambitious goal: making North Carolina's public schools the best in the nation by 2030.
Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and 24 other states sued to prevent the federal government from cutting funds for North Carolina’s schools and educators.
School Nutrition professionals from across North Carolina have the opportunity to participate in regional NC K-12 Culinary Institute workshops this summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the 2025-26 federal income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals for children enrolled in North Carolina’s schools. The Federally-assisted School Nutrition Programs help ensure all students have access to wholesome, nutritious, appealing meals at school.
Fifteen North Carolina middle schools have been selected to participate in the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, a five-year, $25 million program made possible by funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
More than 900,000 North Carolina students rely on the nutritious meals and snacks served during the school year through the School Breakfast, School Lunch and Afterschool Snack Programs. When school is out, North Carolina SUN Programs provide nutritious meals at no cost for youth ages 18 and under.
Jason Johnson, Orange High School principal, is the 2025 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year. The announcement was made today at an awards luncheon honoring Johnson and eight other regional finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Cary.
North Carolina has long been home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve and veteran armed service members. In recognition of the state’s rich military history, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is pleased to recognize hundreds of schools as part of its Purple Star Award Designation initiative which first launched in the 2019-20 school year.
New data about educators who completed the Rethink Education Facilitator Badge professional development program reveals the program's transformative impact on their teaching and student learning outcomes across North Carolina.
Rachel Candaso, a Pitt County Schools middle school teacher and AVID coordinator, is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made today at an awards luncheon honoring Candaso and eight other regional finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Cary.
The 2023-24 State of the Teaching Profession report, presented to the North Carolina State Board of Education today, shows an improved attrition rate for teachers in public school districts for 2023-24 over the previous year.
The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) proudly announces Summer Espinosa, a kindergarten teacher at W.R. Odell Primary School in Cabarrus County Schools, as the NCCAT 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year.
While five high school finalist teams competed in the annual North Carolina Jr. Chef cook-off this month to create unique school lunch entrée recipes, the “Knights of Culinary” team from Durham Public Schools’ Northern High won first place in the 2025 NC Jr. Chef Competition.