Long-Range District Realignment Study

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Approved District Boundary Realignment for the 2024-25 School Year (February 12, 2024)



CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO ACCESS SCENARIOS A, B, &C RESOURCES PAGE (November 27, 2023)


Click Image Above for Conceptual Scenario C-Revised Information


Cabarrus County Schools has contracted Cooperative Strategies, LLC, to perform a long-range comprehensive realignment planning study. This study will include the assessment of student enrollment and projections, facility capacity and use, and the assessment of future growth and development.

The purpose of this study is to examine the distribution of student enrollments, demographics, facility use, and planned capital expenditures across the district by modeling long range enrollments through a complete assessment of growth and/or decline to create a sustainable realignment plan.

Cabarrus County Schools serves a geographic area of approximately ~360 square miles. This area includes exurban, suburban, and rural land use. The County is approximately 20 minutes northeast of Charlotte and is included in the metropolitan statistical area of the region. The district also serves five municipalities including Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Midland, and Mt. Pleasant.

Cabarrus County Schools student population grew 21% from 2010 to 2020 and has almost doubled over the last two decades. In addition to growth, there has been a legislative mandate for the reduction of K-3 class size which has resulted in a loss of seat availability across elementary school facilities. The district expects student population growth will continue over the next decade due to local economic growth (new companies locating and creating jobs in the area), a stable birth rate over the last five years, continued new home construction, and the expectation that net migration in North Carolina will be concentrated in major metropolitan statistical areas over the next ten years.

The historical growth has resulted in the construction of ten new schools over the last decade and the district has been in a cycle of realignment of school boundaries every few years. This study will help us understand how geographic boundary changes impact school enrollments and analyze such changes using geographic information systems for analysis of historical enrollments and future scenarios of population change.

CCS seeks a long-range, sustainable growth and realignment plan which assesses current school capacity, examines proposed build out of development and current student yields, analyzes proposed capital expenditures in alignment with growth and engages the community through the process for the realignment of school boundaries. Cooperative Strategies, LLC, will help the district determine the best course of action over the next 10 years while evaluating the many external factors contributing to growth.

The result of the district collaborating with the consultant will be the development and presentation of realignment options for the school district which have been vetted by the public, the internal project team, and board of education representatives. The plan will align with the future needs and assets needed for the district.

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Notice of Public Hearing regarding the proposed closing of Beverly Hills Elementary SchoolNotice of Public Hearing regarding the proposed closure of Beverly Hills Elementary School in Spanish





Updated Project Timeline



Approved District Boundary Realignment for the 2024-25 School Year (February 12, 2024)



CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO ACCESS SCENARIOS A, B, &C RESOURCES PAGE (November 27, 2023)


Click Image Above for Conceptual Scenario C-Revised Information


Cabarrus County Schools has contracted Cooperative Strategies, LLC, to perform a long-range comprehensive realignment planning study. This study will include the assessment of student enrollment and projections, facility capacity and use, and the assessment of future growth and development.

The purpose of this study is to examine the distribution of student enrollments, demographics, facility use, and planned capital expenditures across the district by modeling long range enrollments through a complete assessment of growth and/or decline to create a sustainable realignment plan.

Cabarrus County Schools serves a geographic area of approximately ~360 square miles. This area includes exurban, suburban, and rural land use. The County is approximately 20 minutes northeast of Charlotte and is included in the metropolitan statistical area of the region. The district also serves five municipalities including Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Midland, and Mt. Pleasant.

Cabarrus County Schools student population grew 21% from 2010 to 2020 and has almost doubled over the last two decades. In addition to growth, there has been a legislative mandate for the reduction of K-3 class size which has resulted in a loss of seat availability across elementary school facilities. The district expects student population growth will continue over the next decade due to local economic growth (new companies locating and creating jobs in the area), a stable birth rate over the last five years, continued new home construction, and the expectation that net migration in North Carolina will be concentrated in major metropolitan statistical areas over the next ten years.

The historical growth has resulted in the construction of ten new schools over the last decade and the district has been in a cycle of realignment of school boundaries every few years. This study will help us understand how geographic boundary changes impact school enrollments and analyze such changes using geographic information systems for analysis of historical enrollments and future scenarios of population change.

CCS seeks a long-range, sustainable growth and realignment plan which assesses current school capacity, examines proposed build out of development and current student yields, analyzes proposed capital expenditures in alignment with growth and engages the community through the process for the realignment of school boundaries. Cooperative Strategies, LLC, will help the district determine the best course of action over the next 10 years while evaluating the many external factors contributing to growth.

The result of the district collaborating with the consultant will be the development and presentation of realignment options for the school district which have been vetted by the public, the internal project team, and board of education representatives. The plan will align with the future needs and assets needed for the district.

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Notice of Public Hearing regarding the proposed closing of Beverly Hills Elementary SchoolNotice of Public Hearing regarding the proposed closure of Beverly Hills Elementary School in Spanish





Updated Project Timeline


Questions and Answers

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  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    How are you planning to ensure that the rezoning will improve the quality of Cabarrus County schools?

    G asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for question. We appreciate your input and participation.

    The objective of this realignment is to create a long-range, sustainable growth and realignment plan which assesses current school capacity, examines proposed build out of development and current student yields, and analyzes proposed capital expenditures in alignment with growth. 

    It is our hope through realignment to allow for future growth in expanding areas of our county, better align our feeder patterns from elementary-to-middle-to-high which will allow larger cohorts of students to remain together as they move along their k-12 journey,  and allow for better utilization of our current facility assets. With the inclusion of a ten-year facilities master plan, we believe this realignment will allow us to better plan for future growth in certain areas of Cabarrus County.

    This plan will not stop future growth or future realignments. Pocket realignments will be necessary with any new facility construction. However, it is our hope that this proactive realignment can curb the recurring cycle of realignments that have occurred in the recent past as a response to growth in our county.

     

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    I am concerned parent inquiring as to how the this new realignment has place my child who was to attend Harris Rd Middle School, located less than 1.3 miles from our current residence, is now to attend northwest Cabarrus middle, which is approximately 8 miles away. Each time a rezoning is conducted my children seem to be attending lower quality schools further from our residence. It is increasingly difficult to comprehend how this continues to occur. It also doesn't allow the parent or child to make accurate school choice determinations. I chose this residence because of the elementary and middle school ratings. I wish for my son, who transitions to middle school next year, to attend Harris Rd Middle and not Northwest Cabarrus Middle and would like to speak to someone about the possibility of this request. Thanking you for all that you do and looking forward to hearing from you.

    Brittney T asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your input and participation.

    Please email realignment@cabarrus.k12.nc.us with specific questions pertaining to the realignment and your question will be directed to the proper Cabarrus County Schools department.

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    Regarding the grandfathering decision and the superintendent’s explanation for excluding 5th and 8th graders. He stated grandfathering the younger grades created transportation and sibling issues. Grandfathered students have to provide their own transportation and younger siblings are not eligible to stay at the existing school. These parameters were in place with previous realignments and are in place for seniors with this realignment. Could you please provide additional clarification as it doesn’t make sense? Also, I’m confused why this keeps being referred to as the first county wide realignment when there was one roughly five years ago and two current board members participated in the process/vote.

    Cabarrus Parent12 asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input.  

    Granting legacy status to rising 5th and 8th grade students would present several challenges for the district from an, academic, facilities, and programmatic standpoint. This is further exacerbated by the fact that realignment more heavily impacts elementary and middle schools per capita than it does high schools.  If legacies disproportionally impact certain elementary and middle schools, then we could have schools with incredibly large or small 5th and 8th grade cohorts.  If 5th or 8th grade cohorts are disproportionally large or small, it would have the following effects:

    • Overutilization at more schools across this district due to larger 5th and 8th grade cohorts.  Exceeding the building’s capacity creates challenges with core spaces (cafeteria, hallways, classrooms, media center, etc.) and limits the school’s operational effectiveness. 
    • Underutilization at more schools across the district due to smaller 5th and 8th grade cohorts.  This would lead to higher than average per student operational costs for facilities and would significantly reduce the district’s operational efficiency. 
    • Staffing allotments for reading, math, science, or social studies would be impacted.  Some schools may need additional (or fewer) allotments for 5th and 8th grades that would then need to be rectified the following year.  This would result in numerous staffing transitions.  
    • Encore scheduling and staffing allotments would be impacted.  Because encore teachers teach all three grades, this assumes that there is an approximately even distribution of students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.  If 5th and 8th grades have disproportionately more (or fewer) students, then only the encore classes would need additional (or fewer) allotments.  This means that a school could need extra encore teachers for just 1/3 of the day for, while another school may need less encore teachers for their 5th and 8th grades. 


    Typically, realignments happen in response to the opening of a new facility.  In the case of this year's realignment, the district is being redistricted as a whole applying the core tenets of building utilization, feeder patterns, proximity, and diversity, thus impacting more areas of the county than a typical realignment would affect with the opening of a new school.

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    I see most questions below have feb12th as answer. Today is Feb 12th. Has final decision been made? Where can we see the final decision?

    Prashanthig asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input.  

    On February 12, 2024, school boundaries for the 2024-25 school year were approved. 

    Click here to view the assigned elementary, middle, and high schools for your home address: School Locator Tool 

    These locator assignments indicate your home-zoned school only.  They do not reflect individual school assignments that may be determined by Program Choice placement, EC placement, legacy enrollment, or other school assignment criteria as defined in School Board Policy 4150.  Information on alternative assignments will be provided in early March. For answers to many Program Choice questions, click here: Program Choice FAQ webpage. 

    Legacy enrollment has been approved for all rising 12th graders only for 2024-25.  All rising 12th graders who wish to remain at their current school for the 2024-25 school year, must complete this form by February 28, 2024: bit.ly/CCSLegacy  This provision does not apply to siblings of rising 12th graders. CCS transportation WILL NOT be provided for students choosing the legacy enrollment option. 

    Direct any boundary questions to your 2024-25 assigned school’s point-of-contact or you may email realignment@cabarrus.k12.nc.us and your question will be directed to the proper district department. 

    For a complete list of resources, visit our Realignment Resources webpage at https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/realignment. 

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    As a result of the realignment decision, what will be the impact/process for high schoolers that are already in the process of registering for classes for the 24/25 school year, specifically when it comes to choosing electives. The class offerings between current and new assigned schools is significantly different for my student and they were told by their current guidance counselor that they will basically get whatever electives are left available at the new school. This just amplifies the stress my student now feels after being told they will have to switch schools, establish new friend groups and try to plan a significantly different class pathway.

    Kristen B asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input.  

    The statement that students newly realigned to a school will “basically get whatever electives are left available” is inaccurate. Students realigned to a new school will have the same opportunity as established students to select relevant elective courses of their choosing. There may be different electives at a student’s new school, however, that will not impact the student’s capacity to earn sufficient credits to graduate. 

    There is a high degree of parity for the majority of elective course offerings for each of our high schools. Registration is currently in process and not yet completed with Master Schedule Build to be finalized in mid-late April, 2024. All students course requests will be submitted and processed at that time.

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    Hello Team, after a decade we bought a new home in a community which is nearby to Harris Road Middle School (approximately 0.7 miles school from Community). When we initially signed the new house contract we had no clue about school realignment. Now after we bought it and about to move it to new home and we came to know that the middle school has been realigned to NorthWest Cabarrus middle school which is 5 miles away versus 0.5 away from Harris Road Middle school. During the home buying process, we compromised many things for the home and paid a huge price to the home just because of the only reason that we had good schools nearby. Communities which are 5 miles away are assigned to HRMS where the community which I bought which is just 0.5 miles away are realigned. I understand there are many parameters that the board would have taken in consideration. However, it would be really helpful if you consider distance also as an important parameter in school realignment process. thanks!

    Ashok asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your participation and input. Please note, no final decision has been made by the Board of Education. Action taken by the Board of Education on any necessary boundary changes is expected to occur at the Board of Education's Business Meeting on February 12, 2024.

    Your feedback will be shared with the Board of Education.

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    Hi, We bought a new home in Cannon Run community which is right across Harris Road Middle School. Now we hear that the middle school is going to be realigned to North West Cabarrus Middle School. HRMS is just 0.5 miles away whereas North West Cabarrus schools are 5 miles away. This is totally unfair to move schools who are living in closer proximity. This is going to create additional pressure on kids to travel to schools while we have already schools very nearby. Please consider nearby communities to stay in same school in this realignment process.

    Krishna asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your participation and input. Please note, no final decision has been made by the Board of Education. Action taken by the Board of Education on any necessary boundary changes is expected to occur at the Board of Education's Business Meeting on February 12, 2024.

    Your feedback will be shared with the Board of Education.

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    Hi! Is there a location to see how/if the current plan C affects program choice boundaries? Thanks!

    Jess asked 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input. Please note, no final decision has been made by the Board of Education. Action taken by the Board of Education on any necessary boundary changes is expected to occur at the Board of Education's Business Meeting on February 12, 2024.   

    For answers to many Program Choice questions, please visit our Program Choice Realignment FAQ page here: https://cabarrus.k12.nc.us/pcrealignmentfaq

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    Cooperative strategies made their recommendation to the board to go with Option C. In the data presented currently Harris Road middle has 1179 students keeping it at 93% capacity. With the realignment Harris Road middle will have 1299 students taking it to 103% capacity. What is the justification for this increase? The whole idea of this realignment was to bring capacity down for future growth. The recommendation makes a school with 93% capacity to go over capacity, which goes against every criteria. In doing so you are moving current students of Harris Road middle who live within walking distance to a school 30 minutes away. In each of your reply you mention proximity, but rezoning students who live under a mile from Harris road to bring students who live 5 miles away goes against the definition of proximity. In the realignment of Harris Road middle, each and every criteria is being ignore. Could you please explain why every criteria is being over looked in this case, and please try to respond back without using the standard answer that you have been replying with so far.

    Parent asked 3 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input. Please note, no final decision has been made by the Board of Education. Action taken by the Board of Education on any necessary boundary changes is expected to occur at the Board of Education's Business Meeting on February 12, 2024.  

    Student feeder pattern continuity was highly considered. All students north of Highway 73 currently attend Northwest Cabarrus High School. The recommended movement of students from Harris Road Middle School to Northwest Cabarrus Middle School would enable student cohorts to move together from middle to high school.

    In addition, the assessment of future growth was critical when looking to plan for Harris Road Middle School. In the current boundary, there are over 1,800+ active units (newly construction or under construction). In the new boundary, that number drops to 600+ units. This helps to better manage the growth expected to continue in the Harris Road Middle School area.

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    Hi. Can someone please just give me an answer. Ive left several Emails to Cabarrus schools page almong with Engage site. Ive called left voicemails with no return on any of them. Its very upsetting. My question is. I NEED to know if our address is in the C scenario relocation ? I have looked at images but it is all foreign to me. I do Not understand any of it. My child goes to JN Fries & we are zoned for the school. But I know now that doesn't matter its the program ( STEM) that they are excepting .. How can i find out if Our address is affected with the relocation??

    DeeDee asked 3 months ago

    Thank you for your question. We appreciate your participation and input. Please note, no final decision has been made by the Board of Education. Action taken by the Board of Education on any necessary boundary changes is expected to occur at the Board of Education's Business Meeting on February 12, 2024. 

    The school locator tool can be accessed here: https://woolpertinc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3e699dc9ba5f48c0bb31502285e8cfbd

    Using this locator, you can enter your home address and see how each Conceptual Scenario would affect your school assignment.

Page last updated: 13 Feb 2024, 07:17 AM