Morrisville High School will plan to open on the Little/Davis Drive site (adjacent to Parkside ES) for the 2027-2028 school year with students in grades 9-10.  Prior to that, Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies will occupy a portion of the building beginning as early as November of 2025 with students in grades 9-10 only.  The 11th-grade students will remain on the Wake Tech campus.  They will remain in the building until their permanent building is completed on the Paramount Pkwy site (adjacent to Wake Tech in Morrisville), no later than the start of the 2029-2030 school year.  Parkside Middle School will open no earlier than the start of the 2028-2029 school year (likely later due to additional time needed to prepare the land for construction) on the Paramount Pkwy site.

Yes.  Based on previous feedback from families, the Office of Student Assignment will continue to conduct public engagement sessions to make families aware of upcoming changes in their area. Since the data we receive annually from municipalities is always changing, WCPSS needs to continue to utilize some flexibility in the 7-year Capital Improvement Plan. We will engage parents as early as possible so that we can provide as much time as possible to families so they may prepare.

When the school is closer to opening, staff will review the data from the enrollment forecast to determine their recommendation to the Board.  If there continues to be high growth in the area, and we do not have additional seats at proximate schools, then we will consider a multi-track year-round calendar.  Our goal is to recommend a calendar that we will be able to utilize for several years so that we will not need to change it and cause a disruption for families.

Since it takes several years to design, plan, and construct a school, the earliest Parkside Middle will open is for the 2028-2029 school year. However, considering the additional time it will take to prepare the site, it is more likely that the 2029-2030 school year would be the earliest it would open. Please know that as the data we collect from municipalities continues to change, the school could open at a later date.  We will continue to update the public through the 7-year Capital Improvement Plan each spring to make them aware of an expected opening date.

All new high schools in WCPSS open with only grades 9-10. This is done to allow 11-12 graders the opportunity to have stability during these years as they prepare for life after high school. Opening a school with students in grades 9-10 allows for the school to have enough students assigned so that the school can earn enough teaching positions paid by the state to offer the expected academic programming at our schools.  Under our current Stability Rules, students in grades 9-10 who have an older sibling not assigned to the new school in grades 11-12 may transfer back to attend the same school as their older sibling.  They receive district bus service to that school for as long as the older sibling attends the school, or if the family moves.  (Whichever occurs first).

WCPSS has several high schools on the same campus as an elementary school.  Apex Friendship, Leesville Road, and Wakefield are just a few examples.  Our staff and students do a tremendous job of not interfering with the elementary students during the day.  In fact, due to the proximity of the schools, it is not uncommon for high school students to volunteer at the elementary schools to help support them and build stronger bonds within their community.

No. Due to the delay in opening Parkside Middle School, students who either used the Stability Rules to remain at Alston Ridge Elementary/Parkside Elementary or changed schools to attend Pleasant Grove Elementary will not be impacted again when we open Parkside Middle School. 

No. If students are reassigned out of Mills Park Middle or Alston Ridge Middle between now and the opening of Parkside Middle, then they will not be reassigned again when the new school opens.