Original Research by School Decision on Dillard Academy
Dillard Academy is a single-school K-8 charter district located in Goldsboro in Wayne County, North Carolina, serving a student body of about that size across nine grades from kindergarten through eighth grade. The enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across grade levels, with consistent cohorts moving through the building.
The student population is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students and very few white students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, though the district has made a significant operational shift: it now provides universal free meals to all students through the federal Community Eligibility Provision. Every student receives access to free breakfast and lunch daily, removing meal costs and paperwork barriers for families. This is a material change in how the school operates and removes a transaction burden that affects attendance and participation.
State assessment data was not available to establish what proficiency looks like at Dillard Academy or how students perform in reading, math, or other tested areas. Graduation rates do not apply to this entity, since it serves only through eighth grade and does not award diplomas. A reader interested in academic performance would need to ask the school directly or seek out whatever informal measures or local reporting exist.
One metric for which data exists is chronic absenteeism. The district's chronic absenteeism rate places it in the bottom quartile among Wayne County's districts, meaning a higher share of students are missing school regularly than is typical in the county. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether absences reflect transportation challenges, health barriers, family circumstances, or something else the school is working to address.
The district spends per pupil at the upper-middle range within Wayne County, suggesting reasonable resource levels relative to its peers.
A recent and notable shift in pedagogy is the elevation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) as a central curricular focus. In summer 2025, the school launched a community-sponsored STEAM camp that drew a substantial number of participating students, and STEAM remains a designated emphasis in the regular curriculum going forward. For families drawn to hands-on, project-based, or interdisciplinary approaches to learning, this is a defining feature of what Dillard Academy offers.
The school operates as a charter, which means it has more operational autonomy than a traditional public school but remains accountable to its charter authorizer. Parents considering Dillard Academy should be aware that without state assessment data in hand, they will need to evaluate the school's academic approach and results through direct conversation with school leadership, visits if possible, and whatever community feedback they can gather.
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