New Hanover County Schools runs Wilmington's public schools. 62.9% of 2025-26 state tests were at grade level, above the state's 59.2%. Calendar inside.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from New Hanover County Schools and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data.
New Hanover County Schools runs every public school in Wilmington and the rest of the county, from pre-K through early college high schools. The district office is at 6410 Carolina Beach Road. In 2025-26, 62.9% of the state tests taken in the district were at grade level or above, compared with 59.2% across North Carolina.
Who to call
- District office: 910-254-4200, 6410 Carolina Beach Road
- Enrolling a new student: enrollment specialist, 910-251-2929
- Which school serves my address: the district’s School Locator
- Official pages: nhcs.net, school calendars, NC School Report Cards
2026-27 calendar: the dates that matter
From the district’s traditional calendar (PDF), approved Nov. 5, 2025. Students are off on every date below.
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 26 | Teacher workday |
| Tuesday, Nov. 3 | Election Day; teacher workday |
| Wednesday, Nov. 11 | Veterans Day |
| Nov. 25-27 | Teacher workday, then Thanksgiving |
| Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 | Winter break |
| Monday, Jan. 18, 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Tuesday, Jan. 19 | Teacher workday |
| Monday, Feb. 15 | Teacher workday |
| March 25-26 | Teacher workday, then Good Friday |
| March 29 to April 2 | Spring break |
| Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day |
| Friday, June 4 | Last day of school, a half day |
| Saturday, June 5 | Traditional high school graduation |
Year-round schools, the restart schools at Freeman and Snipes, and the early college high schools have their own calendars on the district’s calendar page.
Which school serves my address?
Each address is assigned an elementary, middle and high school. Look yours up with the district’s School Locator. The district also runs specialty, magnet and year-round programs that families can apply to; see its school options page.
The high schools serving Wilmington families include New Hanover High, John T. Hoggard High, Emsley A. Laney High and Eugene Ashley High, plus three small early college and technical high schools: Isaac Bear Early College, Wilmington Early College and SEA-Tech.
How to enroll
New students register online through the district’s Infinite Campus portal, then bring or upload, according to the enrollment page:
- Proof of residence in New Hanover County, such as a property tax statement, deed, mortgage statement, lease or utility bill
- A certified birth certificate or other proof of age
- An up-to-date immunization record
- The N.C. Health Assessment, the first time a child enters a North Carolina public school
- The Safe Schools Affidavit, for grades 1 to 12
- A parent or guardian photo ID, and custody papers if they apply
Ratings: how Wilmington’s schools did on state tests
North Carolina grades every school A to F each fall, mostly on test scores and partly on growth, and publishes the results on the NC School Report Cards site. Search any school by name there for its grade, test results and teacher data.
The state’s 2025-26 figures, released in September 2026:
- 62.9% of the district’s state tests were at grade level or above, against 59.2% statewide.
- Five of the district’s 40 graded schools were designated low-performing: R. Freeman School of Engineering (F), College Park Elementary (D), Edwin A. Alderman Elementary (D), A.H. Snipes Academy of Arts and Design (D) and Williston Middle (D), from the state’s low-performing designations list. Freeman, College Park and Alderman have been on the list three years running. Forest Hills Global Elementary, Wrightsboro Elementary and the Career Readiness Academy at Mosley were on it in 2024-25 and came off this year.
High schools
| High school | State tests at grade level, 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Isaac Bear Early College | above 95% |
| SEA-Tech | 93.9% |
| Wilmington Early College | 84.9% |
| John T. Hoggard High | 69.8% |
| Eugene Ashley High | 62.2% |
| Emsley A. Laney High | 57.1% |
| New Hanover High | 43.6% |
Source: N.C. Department of Public Instruction, 2025-26 disaggregated performance data, all subjects, all students. Early college schools admit students by application, so their results are not directly comparable with the large neighborhood high schools.
School board
The New Hanover County Board of Education holds regular meetings at 5 p.m., usually on the first Tuesday of the month, at 6410 Carolina Beach Road, according to its meeting schedule. Agenda reviews are at 2 p.m. The next regular meeting is Thursday, Nov. 5, moved from Tuesday because of Election Day; after that, Tuesday, Dec. 1. Meetings stream on the district’s YouTube channel and on Spectrum channels 5 and 191. To speak, see the board’s Call to the Audience page.
Frequently asked questions
What school district is Wilmington, NC in? New Hanover County Schools, which runs every public school in the county. Its offices are at 6410 Carolina Beach Road; call 910-254-4200.
When is the last day of school for New Hanover County Schools? Friday, June 4, 2027, a half day, for traditional-calendar schools. The year started Aug. 24, 2026.
When is spring break 2027 in New Hanover County Schools? March 29 to April 2, 2027, on the traditional calendar. Good Friday, March 26, is also a holiday.
How do I find which school my child is zoned for in Wilmington? Use the district’s School Locator at nhcs.net and enter your address, or call the enrollment office at 910-251-2929.
How did New Hanover County Schools do on state tests? In 2025-26, 62.9% of state tests taken in the district were at grade level or above, against 59.2% statewide. Five of the district’s 40 graded schools were designated low-performing.
More: high school scoreboard, Friday night football and moving to Wilmington.
Zoned schools area by area: our Wilmington neighborhoods guide.
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