September 2026: Across the country, school districts regularly revisit school attendance boundaries as enrollment patterns change. In some communities, growing enrollment means boundaries need to shift to relieve overcrowding. In others, declining or changing enrollment means districts need to rebalance students across schools so that available classrooms, staffing, and other resources are used thoughtfully and fairly. While this process, known as redistricting, has become increasingly common nationwide, CHCCS has not undertaken one since 2013. ​​

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What is Redistricting? 

Redistricting is the process of reviewing and, when needed, changing school attendance boundaries, the geographic areas that determine which elementary school students are assigned to attend. It is not the same as closing another school, nor does it mean that every student will be moved to a different school. Rather, the District will evaluate enrollment, available capacity, geography and other relevant factors across all 10 remaining elementary schools to develop proposed attendance boundary scenarios. Staff and community feedback will then result in revisions to those proposals throughout the process.

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All elementary schools and the students they serve will be considered as part of the overall evaluation (middle and high schools are not part of this process.) At the same time, that does not mean every student or family will ultimately experience a change. Depending on the final attendance boundaries adopted, some students may remain in their current elementary school while others may be assigned to a different elementary school for the 2027-28 school year.

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Our Starting Priorities & The Need for Community Input 

As we begin this work, we want to keep sight of what matters most: 

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• Safe, welcoming and supportive learning environments

• Access to high-quality instruction and student supports

• Reasonable class sizes

• A strong sense of belonging and continuity for students and families
   

These priorities will help inform the redistricting work, but they are a starting point, not a finished list. We want to hear from our community about what matters most as we develop and evaluate potential boundary scenarios.
 

Timeline

With this in mind, CHCCS will partner with a team of school planners to conduct a transparent, community-informed process as we build out potential elementary boundary scenarios. 

Community input opportunities and key milestones include: 

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• Community Input Opportunity, Sept. 28 - Oct. 9, Community Survey: A community priorities survey will be shared digitally and remain open for two weeks. Let us know what matters most to you in this process. 

• Community Input Opportunity, Wednesday, Oct. 7 (6:30-7:30 p.m.; East Chapel Hill High School auditorium; 500 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill) and Thursday, Oct. 8 (6:30-7:30 p.m.; Carrboro High School auditorium; 201 Rock Haven Road, Carrboro), in-person Community Meetings: Two public community engagement sessions to explain the redistricting process, answer questions and discuss priorities/challenges the community wants CHCCS to consider.

• Thursday, Oct. 15, Board of Education Meeting: Planners will present key community priorities and challenges to the Board during a public meeting.

• Wednesday, Oct. 21, Board of Education Retreat: The Board will hold a working retreat to discuss the redistricting process. The public is welcome to attend and listen to discussions. 

• Key Milestone, Thursday, Nov. 19, Board of Education Meeting: On this date, the first draft boundary scenarios will be presented to the Board, the public and posted online. The community is encouraged to attend, offer public comment, or watch the livestream.

 

Nov. 23 - Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Break 

 

• Community Input Opportunity, Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Wednesday, Dec. 2: in-person Community Meetings and “Gallery Walks”: Two public community engagement sessions to invite community feedback on the draft boundary maps. The community will hear a presentation and then be able to review a gallery of maps to get a deeper understanding of the proposals.

• Community Input Opportunity, Thursday, Dec. 3: Board of Education Meeting (including Public Comment)

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Dec. 21 - Jan. 1: Winter Break

 

• Key Milestone & Community Input Opportunity, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027, Board of Education Meeting and Public Hearing: The Board will be presented with updated draft scenarios based on public feedback. A public hearing will also be held on this date.

• Key Milestone: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027, Board of Education Meeting and Vote: Based on public feedback, the final boundary scenario recommendations will be presented to the Board for a vote. 

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August 2027: School assignment changes (if applicable) take effect. 
 

Note: Dates are subject to change. Specific times and locations are still being finalized. Additional information will be shared as soon as it is available. 
 

Looking Ahead

Our goal is collaboration: listening carefully, understanding different perspectives, and getting as close as we can to a plan that reflects the needs and priorities of our community. 

The process is expected to conclude in January 2027, so that any attendance boundary changes that take effect for the 2027-28 school year are known well in advance. 
 

How to Participate

We encourage everyone to stay informed and engaged by attending meetings or visiting this webpage for updates. You can also expect weekly email communication from the CHCCS district.
 

As always, we remain committed to a transparent, thoughtful, and respectful conversation as we move forward in maintaining the best educational environment for our students.

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Watch this brief video to learn more about the redistricting process.

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