Wake County Public School System proposes enrollment changes across the district
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Wake County Public School System leaders have proposed enrollment changes that could affect at least 13 schools across the district beginning with the 2027-28 school year, as officials seek to address overcrowding, open a new high school and shift focus from new construction to renovating existing buildings.
District officials said growth in some areas of the county is stabilizing, allowing the district to concentrate more on improving older facilities and rebalancing student enrollment. The proposed changes are also intended to provide relief in overcrowded areas and support long-term goals such as reducing the use of mobile classrooms.
Susan Pullium, the district's senior director of student assignment, said community feedback has emphasized the importance of keeping students together as they advance through grade levels.
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"What we're hearing from communities is that as students progress from, let's say, fifth grade into sixth grade or eighth grade into ninth grade, that they're following that same group of students that they've been in school with leading up to that time. So really being able to go from elementary to middle and to high school together, if at all possible," Pullium said.
District leaders said the proposal also reflects the opening of Morrisville High School next year.
"We're opening a brand new school, and so we need to define an attendance area for that new school," Pullium said.
The proposal has raised concerns among some parents whose schools could be affected by reassignment.
Stacey Coffman, a parent at West Millbrook Magnet Middle School, said she was worried when she learned the school was included on the proposed reassignment list.
"When I saw that my kid's school was on the list for the proposed list for reassignment, it made me a bit nervous," Coffman said.
Coffman said changes in school assignments can be difficult for students who have built relationships with teachers, staff and classmates.
"Your kids get into a school, they get relationships built with teachers, with staff, with their friends, and so it's always very nerve-wracking to have to think about the potential for that to change," she said.
Although Coffman said her children participate in the school's magnet program and would not be directly affected by the proposed changes, she expressed concern about the impact on the broader school community and the friendships students have formed.
"It's helping them to understand the big picture of why the decision was made, how it impacts them, and then what we can do to kind of support them with their stressors," Coffman said.
The proposed enrollment changes are not final.
District officials are seeking feedback from families through online comments, an in-person meeting Sept. 30, and virtual meetings Sept. 16, Sept. 17, and Sept. 24 before any decisions are made.
