Wake County staff recommends converting two underused year‑round elementary schools; public and staff oppose change

Wake County Schools staff presented a recommendation at the board’s Aug. 5 work session to convert North Forest Pines and Pleasant Union elementary schools from multitrack year‑round calendars to a traditional calendar or single‑track (track 4) beginning in the 2027–28 school year.

The recommendation, presented by Mister Carraso (staff member), cited a 10‑year enrollment forecast showing the northern area near the airport and Capital Boulevard has persistent underutilization. “These decisions are not taken lightly,” Carraso said, and he told the board that state and federal funding does not cover all multitrack operating costs. He asked the board to schedule a final vote on the change for the Sept. 2 board work meeting to allow families and staff two years to plan.

Why it matters: converting a multitrack multitrack year‑round school to a traditional or single‑track calendar reduces the district’s locally funded operating months for some positions (two fewer pay periods for some employees) and frees operating funds the district says can be reallocated to high‑growth areas that require multitrack capacity or to reduce the frequency of new construction. Staff presented a rough order‑of‑magnitude elementary school construction cost of about $95 million and said four multitrack schools can postpone…