Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) has launched a two-year, stakeholder-driven planning grant focused on researching, listening, and learning from our community to help modernize residential school boundaries.

Through this planning process, we are gathering feedback from students, staff, parents, and community members to better understand their experiences, concerns, and ideas. This input is being used to guide the development of draft maps that propose updates to current residential boundaries. These drafts are not final and are intended to reflect what we’re learning from our community.

Our goal is to increase socioeconomic diversity across schools and enhance transportation efficiency, ensuring every student has equitable access to opportunity.

While school boundaries have been adjusted periodically when new schools were added, a districtwide review and realignment has not been conducted in over 30 years. This planning effort is intended to modernize school zones in ways that better serve all students.

Transportation efficiency is a critical element in the design of these new zones. The WS/FCS Transportation Department works diligently to meet the many competing needs of the district, including magnet programs, zone choice, and specialized transportation. Updating residential boundaries offers an opportunity to improve transportation operations while maintaining the high level of service our families rely on.

WS/FCS is proud to be the fourth largest school district in North Carolina, and this planning grant represents an important step in building a stronger, more inclusive future for all students.

This is your opportunity to help shape the future of our schools. 

WS/FCS was awarded a two-year Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, totaling $943,688. This funding allows the district to take a closer look at how current school boundaries impact families and to work alongside the community in shaping more equitable solutions.

This initiative includes:

• A thorough review of existing residential boundaries

• Ongoing engagement with students, families, staff, and community members

• The development of draft maps informed by community feedback

• A clear plan to support socioeconomic diversity and improve transportation efficiency

The project is being carried out in four phases, with each phase building on what we hear from students, families, staff, and community members. Final recommendations will be shared with the WS/FCS Board of Education for review and a vote on whether to implement the proposed changes.

WS/FCS is proud to be one of only twelve school districts nationwide selected to participate in this innovative planning grant.

Fall/Winter 2024

Collection of your feedback through Listening Sessions, Surveys and a Feedback Hotline.

Winter/Spring 2025

Sharing of residential boundary change proposals with families, students, staff and the community for additional feedback.

Summer/Fall 2025

Presentation of a final plan to the WS/FCS Board of Education.

The first round of draft school boundary maps will be available for review February 25. To help explore the maps and discuss them with others, we invite you to attend a session where you can ask questions and share your feedback beginning February 26, 2025. Your input is essential in shaping a plan that best serves our schools and community. Additional dates will be released in the coming months.

Gathering input from families, students, staff, and the community is a key part of our planning process. Our goal was to engage 8,000 individuals by the end of 2024, and we surpassed that—hearing from over 10,000 people through surveys and listening sessions.

The Phase 2 Community Feedback Report highlights what we heard between May and December 2024 about the proposed residential school boundary changes. It includes key themes, quotes, and stories from diverse perspectives across our community, providing valuable insights that will help shape the future of our schools.

For more detail on the Phase 2 feedback, you can browse 13,000+ raw community quotes to gain deeper insights into the perspectives shared.

By visiting the dashboard, you can:

• Explore insights and trends from the diverse groups within our community.

• Understand who we heard from—and who we may still need to reach—to promote inclusivity.

Feedback from Listening Sessions - English

Feedback from Listening Session - Español

The Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools system is committed to creating equitable learning environments for all students and developing collaborative partnerships with families and stakeholders who represent our diverse community.

For any questions or additional information, please email us at wsfcsvoices@wsfcs.k12.nc.us.