Dillard, Brogden could be taken over by Innovative School District

Unless they show significant academic improvement over the next four years, two Wayne County schools face being taken over by the Innovative School District, a 2016 creation of the General Assembly that turns control of low-performing schools over from local school systems to outside entities.

According to the 2019 Innovative School District Qualifying List released by the state Thursday, Dillard Middle School had the second lowest school performance grade in North Carolina. Brogden Middle is also on the list.

This isn’t the first time Wayne County Public Schools and the ISD have crossed paths.

Last December, the state Board of Education unanimously approved moving Carver Heights Elementary School into the ISD, but after public outcry, and a last-ditch “Restart” application submission by WCPS, Carver remained under local control.

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To see the complete ISD list — and for more information on the mission of the Innovative School District initiative, see the following presentation that was made Thursday: