Sept. 4. Lakeside Charter Academy in Cornelius has announced “significant academic growth” for the 2024–2025 school year, a major milestone in the school’s academic comeback.

At the start of the school year, Lakeside was one of six charter schools in Mecklenburg County to receive an “F” grade on the North Carolina School Report Card.

“Thanks to the dedication of its educators, students, and families, in just one year the school has made extraordinary progress—raising reading proficiency by 25% and math proficiency by 18%. Lakeside met expected growth in math and exceeded growth in reading, resulting in a two-letter grade improvement to a ‘C,'” said Wayne Mechael Muhammad, principal of Lakeside.

The school has also been removed from the state’s list of low-performing schools.

The achievement was recognized by NC Education Superintendent Mo Green during a press conference at a Board of Education meeting, where he highlighted Lakeside as a model of academic turnaround.

“We are incredibly proud of our students and staff for their hard work and commitment to excellence,” said Muhammad. “This recognition affirms the strength of our school community and our shared belief in every child’s potential and what can happen in schools when quality teaching and learning are the focus.”