Durham Schools Prepare for Next Growing Together Phase

Durham Schools Prepare for Next Growing Together Phase

The next phase of the Durham Public Schools Growing Together plan is set to kick in for the 2025-2026 school year.

Families can attend informational meetings in the weeks ahead to learn more about what’s planned during this phase, which affects the district’s middle and high school pathways.

The Secondary Student Assignment Plan is expected to:

  • Create more year-round school access for middle-school students.
  • Extend dual-language immersion (DLI) options through middle school.
  • Add Montessori-grounded programs to some middle schools.

Currently scheduled meetings include:

  • Eastern Region Informational Meeting, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. Register at this link.
  • Southwestern Region Informational Meeting, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Githens Middle School. Register at this link.

DPS also plans a Showcase of Schools on Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center at N.C. Central University.

The plan currently shows these feeder patterns for DPS high schools:

  • Northern High School: Eno Valley and Holt elementary schools, by way of Carrington Middle School; Sandy Ridge, Little River, and Mangum elementary schools, by way of Lucas Middle School.
  • Riverside High School: Easley and Hillandale elementary schools, by way of Carrington Middle School; E.K. Powe, Club Boulevard, Watts, Y.E. Smith, Eastway, and Forest View elementary schools, by way of Brogden Middle School.
  • Southern School of Energy and Sustainability: Glenn, Merrick-Moore, Oak Grove, Spring Valley, and Bethesda elementary schools, by way of Neal Middle School.
  • Jordan High School: Hope Valley, Murray-Massenburg, Spaulding, Southwest, Creekside, and Forest View elementary schools by way of Githens Middle School; and Lakewood and Morehead Montessori Magnet elementary schools by way of Lakewood Montessori Middle School.
  • Hillside High School: Pearsontown, Parkwood, and Lyons Farm elementary schools by way of Lowe’s Grove Middle School; and Fayetteville, Burton, and R.N. Harris middle schools by way of Shepard Middle School.

Rogers-Herr Middle School won’t automatically feed students to Jordan High School under this plan. Instead, the student’s base school (rather than a lottery-secured magnet school) would determine where they go to high school. Therefore, a student zoned for Southwest Elementary would go to Githens Middle and then Jordan High School, but a student zoned for Lyons Farm would go to Lowe’s Grove Middle and then Hillside High School.

For magnet pathways, the district lists the following information:

  • International Baccalaureate: Hillside High School, by way of Burton or E.K. Powe elementary schools through Shepard Middle School.
  • Montessori: Lucas and Lakewood middle schools receive students from Morehead Magnet Montessori, Little River, and Watts elementary schools.
  • Year-round: School for Creative Studies will receive students from Easley, Eastway, Holt, Oak Grove, and W.G. Pearson elementary schools; Rogers-Herr Middle School will get students from Eastway, Hope Valley, Pearsontown, and W.G. Pearson elementary schools.
  • Dual-language immersion: Brogden Middle School will receive students from Holt, Club Boulevard, Merrick-Moore, Lyons Farm, Southwest, Lakewood, and Bethesda elementary schools.

Some key things to keep in mind:

  • Nothing changes until the 2025-2026 school year.
  • Students entering sixth grade at that time will be assigned to the boundary middle school for their address. Seventh and eighth graders remain at their current school.
  • Students entering ninth grade in 2025-2026 go to the new boundary high school, while 10th-12th graders remain at their current school.