Wake high school must switch to online-only classes. Why it’s happening.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County orders Crossroads FLEX to shift to remote instruction from Jan. 5, 2026.
- Occupancy limited to 49; in-person access restricted to assessments and support.
- District plans relocate Crossroads to Garner Resource Education Center for next year.
A small Wake County high school will switch to online-only classes in January amid a zoning dispute with the town of Cary.
Families at Crossroad FLEX High School in Cary were notified Dec. 16 that classes will switch to remote learning for all students as of Jan. 5. Second-semester courses will also be done virtually with in-person access to the Cary campus limited to assessments and academic or student support sessions.
In the email, Wake cited the revised occupancy requirements for the school. The building is also used by the SCORE Academy, an alternative program in the district.
“Total campus occupancy for Crossroads FLEX and SCORE Academy must be limited to 49 individuals,” according to the letter sent by Wake Chief of Staff Clinton Robinson. “This adjustment takes effect when students return on Jan. 5, 2026, and requires changes to how instruction is delivered for the remainder of the school year.”
Crossroads FLEX has 149 students this school year.
Occupancy issues force switch to online classes
Crossroads FLEX is a hybrid high school allowing Wake students to take a mix of in-person and online courses on their own schedule. It serves athletes, performers and other Wake County teenagers who don’t want a traditional high school schedule.
Due to the change in schedule, Wake is suspending for the rest of the school year the rules that require students to spend a minimum amount of time for in-person classes.
The school opened in 2016 on Dillard Drive in Cary in office space next to the Wake County school system’s main headquarters.
According to Wake, the school district was aware that Crossroads FLEX has been operating in a space zoned for business use, and was actively taking steps toward a long-term resolution.
“Over the past several months, district staff met with the Wake County Fire Marshal and the Town of Cary to gather guidance and ensure compliance,” Wake said. “Through these discussions, it was determined that the program description included in the original permit from many years ago does not align with how the space is currently being used.
“It is the district’s responsibility to comply with all local occupancy regulations, and we are now acting quickly to ensure compliance while continuing to prioritize your child’s learning.”
Families were told on Dec. 3 that they’d have to relocate starting next school year to the Garner Resource Education Center at 2600 Timber Drive in Garner.
“We understand this shift may be challenging,” Robinson said in Tuesday’s email. “Our team is working hard to ensure learning continues with minimal disruption. Below are details for the remainder of the first semester and our plan for the second semester.”
Parent questions not getting notice sooner
Jill McElya, a Crossroads FLEX parent, had come to the school board’s Dec. 16 meeting to complain about the impact of requiring students to relocate to Garner. Instead, she complained about the sudden shift to remote learning.
McElya said parents should have been notified sooner about the occupancy issues so that they could have helped the school find a new location. She compared the switch to online classes to what happened during the pandemic.
“Now to throw this on our students in the middle of the school year?” McElya said. “It feels like we’re going back to COVID and it’s not right, it’s not fair to them. We need your help.”
Several school board members expressed sympathy for the families at the school.
“This is kind of like going back to COVID,” said school board member Wing Ng. “I agree with that. I’m hoping that (Superintendent Robert Taylor) and the senior leadership team can help find a solution that will keep the Crossroads FLEX community together.
School board chair Tyler Swanson said the principals of Crossroads FLEX and SCORE Academy deserve great credit for their work leading the schools in this situation.
“I am very sympathetic to the situation that we have been presented,” Swanson said. “I look forward to how we can resolve them. I do know that teaching and learning will take place.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 7:14 PM.
