This op-ed has been signed by 292 Glenwood families and supporters at the time of publication. Find a list of signatories here.
Our public schools are in crisis. In the last four years alone, 57 public schools in N.C. have closed. Declining birth rates are part of the story, but so are chronic underfunding and private school vouchers that divert taxpayer dollars. These forces are making it increasingly difficult for public schools to attract students and retain the best teachers for them.
Therefore, many families in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) District were stunned to learn that Glenwood Elementary—one of the district’s most highly utilized and sought-after schools—is being considered by the School Board for closure, along with the possibility of splitting apart the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and World Language tracks of its STEAM2 (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Mandarin) program. While other schools in the District are at 55% utilization and have declining enrollment, Glenwood is at 95% capacity and is the only elementary school where enrollment increased in 2026…