Redrawn district boundaries approved by Cabarrus County School Board

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — The Cabarrus County School Board, on Monday, approved one of the three options to change district boundaries.

The board voted earlier to close Beverly Hills Elementary as part of the plan, despite opposition from local parents.

The district chose Option C in a 4-3 vote, which has the support of most parents. However, some are upset thousands of students will have to attend a different school next year.

Option C goes into effect for the 2024 to 2025 school year. The district says 3,988 students will be moved. It will affect 13 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and five high schools.

There has been both support and fierce opposition to this process, but district officials say they had no choice but to realign the district. Schools are overcrowded, some are aging, and Cabarrus County is growing. District officials said realignment positions the district to prepare for future growth.

Superintendent John Kopicki said Monday that realignment is just one step to help the growing district’s future.

“We cannot realign our way out of this problem,” Kopicki said. “Realignment doesn’t get us away from growth. Realignment and Master Facilities Plan is what you need to get to a better place long term. But realignment and the plan position us to have a very sustainable future.”

He also indicated his staff won’t ignore the feedback they’ve received.

“I think you need to be logical and reasonable and use common sense and look at some things,” he said. “But again, there’s no way we can go back there, make everybody happy and start cutting this thing apart, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is I think some of the things that were brought up this evening and in the past, we can probably take a look at, no promises.”

The school board will work with the county on the budget in the coming months.

The county is sharing an online tool for Cabarrus County residents. If you input your address, you can see if your child’s school has changed. Click here to access it.

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