In the current academic year, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ total enrollment of roughly 10,700 students is its lowest in two decades. At that time, the district had three fewer schools – with Carrboro High, Morris Grove Elementary and Northside Elementary schools not having opened yet.
Now, the district’s leadership is considering closing two school campuses to best downsize amid those waning enrollment trends and funding challenges.
Continuing a discussion publicly started in 2025, the CHCCS Board of Education began its latest round of feedback on Feb. 5 about how to approach closing a school, with district administrators asking the board to consider outlining its criteria for what data or features to examine with the target of choosing at least one school to shut down for the 2027-28 school year…