Report: Schools that serve SJAFB among worst in Air Force

Back in October 2020, a story published about a study commissioned by the Department of the Air Force — a report that revealed that of the 157 school districts that serve children of airmen across the nation, the districts that serve Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — mainly Wayne County Public Schools — ranked among the worst.

That piece also revealed that the results of the assessment would, according to AF officials, “now be one of several factors considered in future basing decisions,” and detailed where the schools that served SJAFB stood in three categories: “Academic Performance,” “School Climate,” and “Service Offerings.”

Some members of the Wayne County Board of Education pushed back on the findings, claiming the ratings reflected “old data” and the low scores were more about Duplin and Lenoir schools than Wayne’s.

But two years later, a new report tells the same story.

“Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina received an overall red rating in public education as it fell within the bottom 33 percent of all Air Force installations assessed,” it reads.

It also received the worst possible rating for “Student Learning Rate,” which is defined as the “average increase in grade level competency as measured by federally mandated test scores across grades three through eight.”

BACKGROUND

The study, a cornerstone of the Air Force’s “Support of Military Families Program,” was created with a focus on evaluating public education opportunities in base communities “to be a part of a broader consideration in the strategic basing process.”

“We recognize improving schools … will take time, but by evaluating them and making the findings publicly available, we are providing information for communities to make appropriate changes where needed,” the report reads.

Each base community was evaluated in three categories — academic performance, school climate and service offering — and each category received an overall rating of green (the highest mark), yellow (indicates work to be done) or red (the worst score).

Here is how SJAFB fared:

Academic Performance

Defined as “education metrics that establish a foundation for college and/or career readiness,” it is characterized as, “the most important area, this measures student learning and successful program completion.”

Bottom line: SJAFB received an overall RED rating.

Graduation Rate (Yellow)
Student Learning Rate (Red)

School Climate

Defined as “indicators of a safe educational environment and its contribution to academic learning.”

Bottom line: SJAFB received an overall YELLOW rating.

Chronic Absenteeism Rate (Green)
Suspension Rate (Red)

Service Offering

Defined as “access to programs and qualified staff provided specialized transition services for military children, including academic and emotional support.”

Bottom line: SJAFB received an overall YELLOW rating.

Pre-Kindergarten Availability (Yellow)
Student to Counselor Ratio (Yellow)
Student to Mental Health Support Ratio (Yellow)
Student to Nurse Ratio (Red)
Student to Teacher Ratio (Green)

The report also revealed a yellow rating for the state in “Licensure Portability,” indicating that “State statutes (primarily House Bill 1053) contain barriers to licensure and certification portability for military spouses.”