Board approves closing 11 schools to student reassignment for 2026–27, reopens Lake Norman Elementary

The Iredell‑Statesville Schools Board voted unanimously Dec. 8 to close 11 schools to the district’s student reassignment process for the 2026–27 school year and to remove Lake Norman Elementary from the closed list so that it will be open to reassignment. Director Mark Shankuric presented capacity data and recommended the changes after reviewing current enrollment and growth trends.

Shankuric told the board that Troutman Middle School and Cool Springs Elementary were operating close to 90% capacity and recommended they remain closed to reassignment; Lake Norman Elementary was cited as operating at just under 82% capacity and recommended for reopening to the reassignment process. He clarified that the capacity figures do not count mobile classrooms, which are treated as non‑permanent for the district’s capacity study.

Following a motion that read the list of schools into the record and removed Lake Norman from the closed list, the board seconded the motion and approved it 7–0. The district staff said the reassignment process would begin in January and any redistricting decisions tied to these closures would be implemented for the August 2027 assignment year; the changes are intended to manage capacity while the district plans for longer‑term boundary adjustments.

Board members asked for confirmation of memo text corrections and timeline details; staff said they would update the written recommendation to match the motion recorded in the minutes.