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KENANSVILLE — With a renewed focus on academic growth and student success, Duplin County school principals have set ambitious goals for the year ahead—including boosting the district’s graduation rate to 87% and increasing overall school achievement scores by 10%. These goals were among the key points discussed at the Duplin County Board of Education’s October meeting, where board members also reviewed state accountability results, celebrated progress in student proficiency and teacher retention.
The meeting served as a checkpoint for district leaders to review progress and confirm a key leadership decision: the official appointment of Interim Superintendent Daren Tyndall to lead the district permanently. Following the designation of seven schools as low performing, which categorized the district as low performing, school officials emphasized that the improvement goals are a response to lift student outcomes.
“The performance of the grades does not really indicate the work you all are doing …sometimes politicians don’t understand what it really takes to make a difference. We all know a lot of these kids are facing socioeconomic barriers …it’s very upsetting when the general public wants to downgrade our schools based on grades …there is only so far that some kids can go (without the same help and resources that other kids have). Everybody wants to feel like they are somebody, but this accountability model doesn’t do that. To judge our students by this model really decreases their hope,” Board member Reginald Kenan said.
Board members agreed that test scores, while important, don’t tell the full story and should not diminish the hard work happening in schools — or the work still to come.
The board also heard a presentation from Mandy Ross on the district’s Beginning Teacher Support Program, which continues to post impressive retention rates.
“In 2023-24, we saw an influx of new teachers, most of which were considered alternative licenses. During that year, our Beginning Teacher program took in 183 teachers; 71% of them had an undergraduate degree in something other than teaching. In 2024-25, we retained more of our beginning teachers and supported 164 beginning teachers. 40% were initially licensed and some had completed a residency program,” said Ross. “In 2025-26 we are supporting 119 beginning teachers. At the end of the 23-24 school year, we retained 88% of our beginning teachers. We are currently sitting at a 95% retention rate.”
Ross credited the relationship building that coordinators do with beginning teachers as well as licensure testing support as the cause for the program’s high retention rates.
“Our teachers feel like they have someone in their corner,” Ross said.
The board asked questions about how to better support the program and improve the teacher-to-mentor ratio. Mentors are paid $100 a month and are currently asked to mentor three to four beginning teachers.
