Wake County Public Schools staff seek feedback on potential calendar changes for four Holly Springs‑area schools

Wake County Public Schools planning staff told parents and residents at a virtual meeting that they are examining whether four Holly Springs‑area schools operating on multi‑track year‑round calendars should move to a single‑track or traditional calendar as early as the 2028–29 school year, and invited public feedback through a thought‑exchange that remains open through April 5.

“No specific recommendations have been made at this time. We are still in the gathering input and feedback stage,” said Susan Pium, a district planning staff member leading the presentation. She said the district follows a six‑step planning cycle — forecast, projected crowding, capital improvement plan, annual enrollment plan, a cap‑school review and a utilization assessment — when considering calendar or boundary changes.

Pium presented utilization and trend data for the four campuses under discussion. She said Holly Grove Elementary is “operating at 87%” on its current multi‑track calendar and noted a separate figure shown in the slide deck that said 93.4% when trailers are excluded. Holly Grove Middle was described as operating around 60–61% capacity; Holly Springs Elementary was reported at about 74% utilization and hosts 14 mobile classrooms (trailers); Rex Road Elementary opened this school year and, Pium said, has capacity to absorb projected enrollment through 2035 on either a single‑track or traditional calendar.

The staff emphasized that calendar change is one of several tools the district can use to address underutilization or crowding. “We can adjust boundaries, increase choice seats, remove mobile classrooms, or consider calendar optimization,” Pium said, noting that the district commonly uses an 85% utilization threshold to flag underutilized schools because lower utilization can challenge staffing and program offerings.

District staff also described operational impacts families and employees should consider. Converting a multi‑track school to a single‑track or traditional calendar can change how many months certain staff are contracted (for example, some specialists on multi‑track campuses work 12 months), which could affect pay or staffing patterns. Staff acknowledged communities value existing calendars and that any change would be disruptive; the board has asked planners to allow families and employees ample lead time if a change is recommended.

Planners said they coordinate enrollment forecasting with municipal partners and outside demographers and noted that recent class‑size legislation has reduced the number of elementary seats districtwide; Pium cited the district’s estimate of several thousand fewer elementary seats following those rules. She also raised equity concerns for middle schools, saying trackouts can impede students’ ability to participate in after‑school activities that predominantly follow a traditional calendar.

Next steps: staff will summarize feedback and present initial recommendations to the facilities committee on April 14, return for further community engagement, and aim to bring final recommendations to the board in May, with a likely vote in late May. The thought‑exchange remains open through April 5 and the district plans to post the session recording to its YouTube channel and link it from the calendar conversion web page.

Because staff said no final recommendations have been made, any changes would be subject to further analysis and board approval and would include separate sessions for affected staff about employment and contract impacts.