Pender County families could see school assignments change under draft proposals

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - As Pender County Schools prepares for growth, draft boundary changes could send at least 1,200 elementary students and up to 1,125 middle school students to different schools.

The district has not approved a plan. A final scenario is expected to be selected in January 2027, with changes taking effect for the 2027-28 school year, according to a student assignment planning presentation reviewed Nov. 5 by the School Redistricting Advisory Committee.

The presentation outlines two elementary school options and three middle school options. Depending on the scenario, an estimated 1,200 to 1,267 elementary students and 775 to 1,125 middle school students would be reassigned.

Why boundaries are being reviewed

The presentation identifies overcrowding, building safety and retaining effective employees as challenges. Community members also raised concerns that student populations have shifted while school boundaries have stayed the same. School board members identified the cost of maintaining aging buildings and unequal access to specialty programs as additional concerns.

An inventory in the presentation lists about 63 pending residential developments with more than 12,700 additional housing units. That figure represents projected homes, not a count of new students.

A separate enrollment forecast generated in November 2025 projects districtwide average daily membership, including special and alternative schools, could grow to 17,407 students in 2035-36 from a 2025-26 baseline of 10,892 -- an increase of about 60%. The baseline represents first-month average daily membership, while the projection is for the second month of the school year.

Elementary school options

The two elementary scenarios compare proposed assignments at North Topsail, Topsail Annandale, South Topsail, Surf City and J.H. Lea elementary schools.

Under the first scenario, North Topsail Elementary would have an estimated 516 students, slightly above its listed capacity of 511. South Topsail Elementary would have 509 students, just below its capacity of 512. The presentation estimates 1,200 elementary students would be reassigned.

The second scenario would keep all five listed schools below 90% of their building capacities, according to the presentation. It would reassign an estimated 1,267 elementary students, 67 more than the first option.

Middle school options

The three middle school scenarios compare proposed assignments at Surf City Middle and J.H. Lea for grades 6-8. The reassignment estimates include students moved from Topsail Middle to J.H. Lea.

The first scenario would reassign an estimated 1,125 middle school students; the second would reassign 850; and the third would reassign 775.

The presentation rates the third scenario best at balancing building use, and it has the fewest estimated reassignments. But that option would split North Topsail Elementary’s feeder pattern, meaning students from the same elementary school would be assigned to different middle schools.

The first elementary scenario has a clean feeder pattern when paired with the first middle school scenario, according to the presentation. The second elementary scenario has a clean feeder pattern with either the first or second middle school option. The presentation does not provide a combined reassignment total for each possible pairing.

Community input and next steps

A community meeting on potential solutions is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 17 at Topsail High School. The school board is scheduled to review potential solutions at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Dr. Katherine Herring Resource Center.

SchoolCAMP is expected to adjust the proposals using feedback in December. A final solutions presentation to the board is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 5, 2027, at the resource center. A final scenario selection and report are planned for January.

Draft scenarios and feedback will go to the board, and final draft scenarios are expected to be presented for a vote, according to the presentation. The schedule is subject to change.

The presentation reports participation in an advisory committee meeting, a principals meeting, a community meeting and a community assessment. It does not say whether some people participated more than once.

The full presentation can be found here.