Calendars may change at 11 year-round Wake schools. Why each made the list.

The Wake County school system has identified 11 multi-track year-round schools that it says may benefit from a calendar change.

The 11 schools use a type of year-round calendar that can increase campus capacity by 25% or more by splitting students into four rotating groups that alternate use of the building all 12 months. But Wake says it doesn’t have a need for as many multi-track schools now that enrollment growth is slowing.

The schools could be converted to a traditional calendar. They could also be converted to a single-track year-round calendar because that schedule would make it easier to switch back to multi-track if growth increases.

School administrators will get public comment on online discussion forums and hold virtual meetings before making an official recommendation on April 14. The school board is expected to make a decision in May with the calendar changes occurring in the 2028-29 school year.

Student assignment staff say they don’t expect to recommend converting all the schools on the list.

Here’s a look at why Wake says the 11 schools are under consideration and the factors that will impact the upcoming recommendations:

Brier Creek Elementary School

• School is at 82.7% of capacity with trailers and would go to 98% if converted.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 2 due to lack of students.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• It’s the only school on the list where enrollment has gone up over the last five years at 3.7%
• Some students would need to be reassigned to different schools if calendar is changed.
• The school feeds into two traditional-calendar schools: Leesville Road Middle and Pine Hollow Middle.

Carpenter Elementary School

• School is at 84.5% of capacity with trailers and would go to 101.1% if converted.
• Only one track is doubled, meaning it has two classes per grade level.
• Enrollment has dropped 22.6% over the last five years.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into Alston Ridge Middle, which is on a multi-track calendar.
• Converting to single track could overload Track 4 at Alston Ridge Middle.
• Some students may need to be reassigned to different schools if calendar is changed.

Heritage Elementary School

• School is at 73.8% of capacity with trailers and would go to 85.8% if converted.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 2 due to lack of students.
• Enrollment has dropped 10.6% over the last five years.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into Heritage Middle, which is also on the conversion list.
• Converting to single track could overload Track 4 at Heritage Middle if it stays multi-track.

Heritage Middle School

• School is at 77.5% of capacity and would go to 103.3% if converted.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 2 due to lack of students.
• Enrollment has dropped 11% over the last five years.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• In addition to Heritage Elementary, the school also gets students from Jones Dairy Elementary, which is multi-track.
• If conversion happens, district says multi-track middle schools are more likely to convert to traditional calendar than single track.

Holly Grove Elementary School

• School is at 87% of capacity with trailers and would go to 112.4% if converted.
• Enrollment has dropped 16.7% over the last five years.
• Recent reassignments reduced the number of students at the school.
• Stability transfers that have allowed reassigned families to stay at the school will end as students age out.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into Holly Grove Middle, which is also on the conversion list.
• Converting to single track could overload Track 4 at Holly Grove Middle if it stays multi-track.

Holly Grove Middle School

• School is at 60.8% of capacity and would go to 76% if converted.
• Enrollment has dropped 42.6% over the last five years.
• Recent reassignments reduced the number of students at the school.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School gets students from a traditional-calendar schools (Buckhorn Creek and Lincoln Heights elementary schools) and multi-track schools (Holly Grove and Rex Road elementary schools).

Holly Springs Elementary

• School is at 73.8% of capacity with trailers and would go to 83.9% if converted.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 3 due to lack of students.
• Enrollment has dropped 23.4% over the last five years.
• Recent reassignments reduced the number of students at the school.
• Stability transfers that have allowed reassigned families to stay at the school will end as students age out.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into Holly Ridge Middle School, which is on a traditional calendar.

Morrisville Elementary School

• School is at 84.4% of capacity with trailers and would go to 118.4% if converted.
• Enrollment has dropped 13.1% over the last five years.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into Alston Ridge Middle, which is on a multi-track calendar.
• Converting to single track could overload Track 4 at Alston Ridge Middle.
• Some students would need to be reassigned to different schools if calendar is changed.

Pleasant Grove Elementary School

• School is at 47.1% of capacity and would go to 62.2% if converted.
• Enrollment has dropped 40.2% over the last five years.
• School was significantly impacted by a reassignment in 2024 when many neighborhoods were moved in and moved out.
• School converted from a traditional calendar in 2024 after families reassigned from year-round schools said they didn’t want a calendar change.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 2 due to lack of students.
• District says the school is so under-utilized that it makes it difficult to provide equitable programming across the different tracks.
• No significant enrollment growth is projected through 2035.
• School feeds into a year-round school (Alston Ridge Middle) and two traditional-calendar schools (West Cary and Leesville Road middle schools).
• Area is likely to be impacted by the scheduled opening of Parkside Middle School in 2029.

Rex Road Elementary School

• School is at 52.8% of capacity and would go to 54.5% if converted.
• School opened this school year.
• District says permitting and residential development for the area has slowed since original projections. School could temporarily go to single track until the extra seats are needed.
• There’s sufficient capacity to absorb projected enrollment growth through 2035.
• School feeds into Holly Grove Middle, which is also on the conversion list.
• Converting to single track could overload Track 4 at Holly Grove Middle if it stays multi-track.
• Converting the school would violate an “unwritten rule” the district has for not impacting families more than once every three years.

Sycamore Creek Elementary School

• School is at 80.5% of capacity and would go to 120.8% if converted.
• The school doesn’t operate Track 2 due to lack of students.
• Enrollment has dropped 21% over the last five years.
• No significant enrollment growth projected through 2035.
• Some students would need to be reassigned to different schools if calendar is changed.
• School feeds into three traditional-calendar schools: Leesville Road Middle, Oberlin Middle and Pine Hollow Middle.

This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 12:29 PM.

T. Keung Hui

The News & Observer

919-829-4534

T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.