Starting in 23-24, Durham Public Schools will assign students by region

Durham Public Schools is changing how it assigns students to schools.

The school system announced Tuesday that it will divide the district into five geographic regions, starting with the 2023-24 school year.

The new assignment plan, part of the "Growing Together Initiative," will place schools into regions that are demographically comparable in terms of race and socioeconomic status.

The school board will adjust neighborhood school boundaries as needed to ensure they are contained in a geographic region. They'll then determine how to offer similar "choice" programs -- including magnet programs -- in each region.

The school district must still align pre-kindergarten and special education classrooms across the district and evaluate the impact of magnet programs.

The change is part of an effort to ensure equitable access to education across Durham County. Officials say it will also increase operational efficiency and reduce students' bus ride times.

The district has floated changes in recent years and was directed to develop the regions in December, when the school board voted to assign students based on regions.

The five districts are Northern, Eastern, Central, Southeast and Southwest. Median household income ranges from $50,322 per year to $71,798 per year. Percentages of people of color range from 49.5% to 68.2%.