Durham Public Schools

Boundary and School Assignment Updates for the 2024-2025 School Year

Over the past two years, Durham Public Schools has worked collaboratively with district leaders, community partners, DPS staff and our families to improve equity and access to schools and programs while managing growth within our community. As a result, our Board of Education adopted a revised school assignment policy to allow for regions of access and new elementary school boundaries.

All students will be reassigned to their new base school for the 2024-2025 school year.

We recognize that change can be challenging for families. However, we want to ensure that we are honoring our current students while preparing for growth. 

Please know that the 2023-2024 school year is a transition year. Elementary school assignments for the 2023-2024 school year are only for one year. Elementary school families who apply for application (magnet) schools for this application period and accept a lottery seat may have to reapply for the 2024-2025 school year and will receive priority for a comparable program in their region.

Following is updated boundary access information:

Legacy Students: All 4^th and 5^th Graders​

Fourth (4^th) and Fifth (5^th) grade students will remain at their current school. Any siblings of 4^th and 5^th graders may request to stay at the current school until the legacy student’s promotion to 6^th grade.​ Transportation for 4^th and 5^th grade students (and siblings) will be provided.​

Legacy Application (Magnet) Students: Rising 1^st – 3^rd Grade

Students attending an application (magnet) school who do not reside in their current school’s updated boundary must reapply in the lottery to the comparable program for their region.  Students will be provided priority in the lottery.​ The lottery will be held in January 2024.

Legacy DLI Students: Rising 1^st –5^th Grade

Rising 1st-5th grade Dual Language Immersion (DLI) students at Bethesda, Lakewood, and Southwest who are no longer in the school boundary may request to stay in the DLI program at their current school through the School Transfer Process.​

Regional Opt-Out Options

Students whose base school is an International Baccalaureate, Montessori, or Year-Round will have an opt-out option to attend a traditional school in their region.

Montessori PreK Enrollment

All seats at Montessori PreK will be allotted through the lottery with priority for students who reside within the boundary.​

​In the 2024-2025 school year, all rising Kindergarten students who do not reside in the Montessori school boundary who wish to continue in the program must reapply through the lottery for Kindergarten with priority seating for those students who attended Montessori PreK.

Year-Round Options

All families are eligible for two Year-Round schools and may rank their choice in the lottery. Families may apply for the Year-Round option in their region and for WG Pearson Elementary.

Little River Middle School Students

The middle school program at Little River will be discontinued for the 2024-2025 school year. All middle school students at Little River will transition to their boundary school or enter the lottery for an application program for which they are eligible. The Office of Student Assignment will support parents through this transition and ensure parents are presented with all possible options.

Holt Elementary Calendar

Holt Elementary will transition to a Dual Language Immersion application school.  Holt will continue to follow the Year-Round calendar.  Students may apply to the DLI program at Holt through the lottery. Students who reside outside of the Holt boundary and who wish to attend Year-Round may apply to the Year-Round school within their region.

Resources:

School Boundary Map: Click here to access the interactive map to view the new school boundaries. Enter your address and see your child’s base school and application program options. 

Enrollment Information: Click here to enroll your child in Durham Public Schools.

Additional information: For full background information on Growing Together, please visit ENGAGE.dpsnc.net.