Durham Public Schools vast redistricting effort draws uncertainty from some parents

Redistricting is the major part of the initiative, but there are other pieces. Every school will have certain standardized programs to create equity in access.

There are about 12,000 elementary school students and the new maps mean about 6,000 could be living in a different district than they are assigned to. However, that does not automatically mean they will have to switch schools. They are still working on the transitions and gathering public input.

Some families who send their children to the Montessori school said they're worried about losing their spots. That has not been decided yet as there will be another virtual community meeting Wednesday night. The district is hoping to have more concrete rules in early January, before the next application cycle for next year.

The redistricting will be in place by fall of 2024.

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Durham families tell me they aren't against redistricting, but they are concerned about the possibility of switching schools.

Rachel Freyer's son is in second grade at George Watts Montessori Magnet School.

"Our son is an exceptional child, so he's been receiving IEP support since he was four," Freyer said.

Her child's education is recovering after the pandemic.

"The disruption will significantly impact his ability to receive the services that he needs," Freyer said.

Another George Watts Elementary School parent, April Barnes, was thrilled when her child was accepted for pre-kindergarten.

"We were just so joyful about it," Barnes said. "If the school's working for them, it could be detrimental to uproot them."

Under the new DPS boundaries, about half of student assignments could change for elementary students.

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The district is working on that transition.

"We have taken feedback from families," said Durham Public Schools Chief Communications Officer Chip Sudderth. "We are hearing from families, generally speaking, enthusiasm for the overall project, but they don't want the project to affect their child and their current situation. we're taking all of that feedback."

The Growing Together Initiative isn't just about redistricting.

The goal is to improve all schools for an equitable education.

DPS is still sorting everything out. Sudderth said they hope to have more concrete answers early next year, before the next application deadline for magnet schools.

DPS has developed regions within the County for redistricting. Those five regions are distributed evenly by socioeconomic status, and proportion of families of color. Each is a different size, but the goal is for the choice programs & access to choice programs to be comparable.

DPS said that means the likelihood of families being placed in choice programs through the lottery will rise.

The plan means all elementary schools will now provide daily STEM and weekly programs such as visual arts, music and global language.

"Everyday will have science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instructions," Sudderth said.

The plan includes application year-round schools and Dual Language Immersion programs in each of the five regions.

They are working on rules of access to the application lottery to increase equity and diversity, and plans are underway to develop transition rules to support students whose academic programs might be changing.

Right now, DPS has 13 elementary schools either severely overcrowded or underenrolled. The new boundaries would bring that number down to three.

Sudderth said the plan has been in the works for about three years with the "goal of equitable access to special programs."

"The lines for school assignment are 30 years old," Sudderth said.