State exams proficiency scores promising for Clay Schools

HAYESVILLE, N.C. – Clay County Schools did see a 15 percent proficiency drop, but state exams also has them performing better than others in the district.

Superintendent Dale Cole joked this was the happiest he’d been with a proficiency deficit.

Between 2018-2019 and 2020-2021, Hayesville Elementary dropped 11 percent, but that also placed them as fifth in the west. There are 18 elementary schools in the district.

Hayesville Middle School came out on top from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic scores. They did drop in proficiency by almost 10 percent, but everyone else experienced a larger deficit.

Hayesville High School came in third and lost eight percentage points. Murphy High School only lost one percentage point.

Overall, Clay County Schools lost 15 percent and came in second place overall.

In 18-19, Clay County School System ranked ninth out of the 12 WRESA Districts and came in at N.C. State exact average marker.

In 20-21, the school system ranked fourth out of 12 and was 5.4 percent above state average. They had the second lowest proficiency drop overall.

“Our board worked very hard to get kids back in school,” Superintendent Dale Cole explained. “Now granted, all of that time has been with a mask mandate, but that’s what allowed us to get kids back in school sooner. We put the priority, or you guys put the priority, on face-to-face instruction which we knew all along was going to far outperform virtual instruction.”

COVID-19 Numbers

For two weeks, the totals in Clay County have continued to drop. The total number of staff and students quarantined or isolated was 104, down significantly from the high of 300.

Adult to student transmission is the highest area of concern at this time.

The board opted to continue with current COVID-19 protocols and look into possible adjustments in October.