ABSS launches districtwide rezoning, seeks public input to balance enrollment

Alamance-Burlington Schools has opened a districtwide rezoning process aimed at balancing enrollment across its 42 schools and easing overcrowding while improving transportation efficiency and long-term school stability. Superintendent Dr. Aaron Fleming framed the effort as a response to shifting neighborhood growth and said the district intends to proceed with care and transparency.

“Our district has changed over time. Some neighborhoods have grown while others have shifted, and enrollment is no longer balanced. We are committed to handling this process with care and transparency,” Dr. Fleming said. He also stressed community input before map options are developed: “We are gathering community input before any zone options are even created because your voice matters in guiding these future decisions.”

ABSS is partnering with SchoolCAMP, a consulting team affiliated with North Carolina State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education, to analyze enrollment, capacity, growth projections and survey data. The district serves more than 22,000 students across 42 elementary, middle and high schools, plus four additional district programs, and last completed a rezoning in 2022.

The first phase asked families to complete a public survey, available in English and Spanish on the ABSS website, with the survey window closing at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 15. District leaders followed the survey with two community listening sessions designed strictly for input and not for presenting draft maps: 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington and 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at Southeast Alamance High School in Haw River. Draft zoning options will be presented later during solution sessions scheduled for 6 p.m. March 3 at Williams and 6 p.m. March 4 at Southeast Alamance.

An advisory committee made up of a principal, a teacher and a parent representative from each high school attendance zone, plus representation from an elementary and middle school within each high-school zone, will advise the process. ABSS chief communications officer Emily-Lynn Adkins said the superintendent’s office selected committee members with input from other officials and assistance from principals, while municipal leaders helped identify jurisdictional representatives.

What this means locally is practical: rebalanced attendance zones can reduce bus miles, ease classroom crowding, and shift student assignments that affect daily routines for families and neighborhood dynamics. From a fiscal perspective, better-aligned enrollment and capacity can improve utilization rates and help stabilize operating budgets tied to transportation and staffing. Tentative next steps include analysis completed by early March, a final plan expected in spring 2026, student assignment notifications in April and May, and implementation for the 2026-2027 school year.

Families and community members who want to weigh in should watch for the draft maps in March and follow updates on the ABSS website. The district’s commitment to early community input means residents will have multiple chances to influence how neighborhood growth translates into classroom assignments.