Nash County school receives praise from state superintendent

RALEIGH, N.C. — Nash Early College High School is one of the many schools achieving academic success.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released data for Accountability and Testing for North Carolina schools on Wednesday.

Superintendent Mo Green praised the school, saying the graduation rate is very impressive, and he’s excited to see this school continue to lead the way, even saying it can be one of the best schools in the country.

Principal Thomas McGeachy said he was drawn to the high school’s sense of community, and that is what kept him there.

“One of the aspects of our school is to make this a welcoming learning environment for all of our school,” McGeachy said. “So, you’re going to see student work displayed in the hallways.

“This gives them a chance to have a voice,” McGeachy added.

Nash Early College High School prides itself on being collaborative, safe, inclusive and on allowing students to be self-advocates.

McGeachy said his son had attended the high school before he was employed there.

His son was a quiet student, he said, and to see the impact these teachers had on him and now other students, that shows McGeachy that his staff cares.

He said his staff is top-tier and he wouldn’t expect anything less

“The district recognizes those EOC teachers who exceed expected growth with the star,” McGeachy said.

The principal said his students are just as amazing, and the stats don’t lie. He said the high school has a 100% graduation rate.

Nash Early College High School earned an “A” rating while exceeding growth expectations on the 2025 accountability report.

Some students even extend their high school career, as the high school offers a 13th grade. Students can even earn an associate’s degree.

The principal said these are some of the main reasons his high school differs from others in the state.

“Scholars are going to want to come to school. They want to, they’re going to want to do well when they feel like teachers and staff have their best interests at heart. Again, that ties into not only, graduation rate, but in reducing absenteeism, because if a student feels comfortable in the academic setting, they’re going to want to come to school,” McGeachy said.

It’s the school’s data-driven approach that is fueling these successes.

This year marks the sixth year in a row of the high school exceeding growth, and McGeachy said it’s because he and the staff are constantly collecting, analyzing and using various types of data to make decisions about instruction, resource allocation and overall school improvement.

He said all instructors are involved in this method for the betterment of every student.

“For those scholars who don’t meet the objective, we then have discussions around this table about what is it that we need to do in order to get them there,” he explained.

Another interesting fact the principal mentioned is that every Friday students are dismissed early, allowing faculty to use the rest of the day for professional development where they discuss student proficiency data and how they and students can improve. This is again, going back to that data-driven model.  

Following Wednesday’s meeting, Green shared he is eager to see this data continue to improve as the state continues to work to implement its strategic plan for state schools.

Green said he is striving to have the best public schools in the nation, and with schools like Nash Early College High School, the goal is achievable.