Understanding the Wake County Public Schools System in Raleigh

If you are confused about the Wake County Public Schools System, then you’re not alone. It’s one of the largest school districts in the United States, and when it comes to picking a school for your child, often there are many different types of schools to choose from.

The good news is that Wake County Public Schools tend to be very well regarded, with 69% of high school graduates going on to college on average.

But if you’re new to the city and plan on putting down roots in the City of Oaks, choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions to make when moving to Raleigh, so this guide has everything you need to know about the types of schools within the Wake County Public Schools System.

Types of schools in Wake County

In North Carolina, most of our school districts are set up as county wide systems, rather than smaller township or municipal systems. The Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS) is one of the largest in the country, currently regarded as the 14^th largest school district in the country, which is incredible.

Currently, there are 203 schools under the WCPSS umbrella, with 161,000 students and 23,000+ employees – and the number of schools in Raleigh will continue to grow as Raleigh-Durham ranks as one of the fastest growing areas in the US. Like most school districts, each address has an assigned school, which we call your base school. You can find your assigned school by using the address look-up tool on the WCPSS website. Now, onto the types of schools in the Wake County..

Traditional vs Year Round Calendars

One of the most confusing aspects of the Wake County Public Schools system is that not all schools operate on the same calendar. Some schools are on a traditional calendar, which means they start in late August and end in early June. Many elementary and some middle schools operate on a year-round calendar, and a select few operate on a modified calendar.

Year-round calendars mean that students have scheduled breaks throughout the year rather than a full summer off. There are two types of year-round calendar; single-track and multiple-track. Single-track means all students follow the same schedule, and multiple-track means that some students are on break while others are still learning, which is done to avoid overcrowding in school. If your school has a year-round calendar, whether they are on single or multi-track, they still get 180 days of learning, but shorter study periods to avoid burnout (for students and staff!).

Many states adopted the year-round calendar during COVID times and found it worked, so decided to stick to it. While it’s not the norm, it’s certainly more common in recent years. Modified calendars typically consist of nine weeks of school followed by a 5-to-8-day break.

Capped schools

If you plan on living in Raleigh, you need to be aware that many of our most crowded Wake County schools have enrolment caps. This is to offset the burden of overcrowding on the families relocating here rather than on current residents. This means that they cannot guarantee you a seat in your base school when you buy a house. If a school has reached its enrolment, it’s called a Capped School, and your child may have to study at Overflow School while you wait for a place in your base school.

You can find a list of capped schools here. This list will remain the same until the next school year when the school board will reassess the options, so you don’t have to worry about a school becoming capped at any time.

My best tip as a realtor is to call the school before you put an offer on a house. The data manager at the school can talk to you about the waiting list and the overflow assignment. Even if you’re happy to wait for a place at your base school, it’s important to know where the Over Flow school is and what it’s like.

Magnet schools in Raleigh

Magnet schools are public schools and are part of the WCPSS, but have specialized themes that allow them to attract students from outside their base zone. Themes range from leadership to creative arts, language immersion programs, international baccalaureate, and more.

Magnet applications can be submitted in the fall and winter for entrance during the following academic year. It’s not first come first serve, and places are either given by random selection, or for arts and creative schools, students may have to do an audition. So take your time and tour schools you are interested in and give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the application process.

You can typically list up to five schools on your magnet application. Magnet schools in Raleigh still follow the same curriculum and state standards guiding public schools, but they can have varying instructional models depending on their theme! You can search for magnet schools here.

Charter schools in Raleigh

Charter schools are public schools that are not part of WCPSS and are independent. They still fall under the NC Department of Public Instruction, follow state education guidelines, accommodate special education needs, and are tuition-free! Because charter schools are run independently, however, they can operate differently than most WCPSS schools. Many span additional grade levels, like K-8, and some require uniforms or even parent volunteer hours.

Admission into a charter school is done by general lottery (random selection). Typically they will have an open application period in the winter and then pull their lottery in March, but these times vary. They are subject to the same state standards and their performance grades can be found alongside other public schools on the NC School Report Cards. You can apply to multiple charter schools and will get 7-10 days to accept or decline your seat if you are offered admission.

Private schools in Raleigh (faith based & non-faith based?)

Private schools are, as you probably already know, tuition based schools. These are independent from the public system and don’t necessarily follow the same curriculum, testing, and education standards. Here in Wake County, we have a wide range of parochial (religious-based) schools as well as independent schools. The tuition on average is about $13,170 per year, but can cost up to $26K.

The admissions process for a competitive private school in Raleigh often starts in the fall and can include testing, interviews, recommendation letters, and more. Some start in preschool and have limited seats in kindergarten, but many expand as grade levels increase. Compared to other areas of the country, I don’t think our schools have particularly long wait lists.

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Things to consider when choosing schools

New families to Raleigh or families with rising kindergarteners can enrol in Wake County schools online, but remember you will need to be closed on your home before finalizing enrolment! I highly recommend using the NC State Report Cards for data on Wake County school outcomes, rather than Great Schools.

You can also request a tour at most of our schools. Seeing a school in person is always the best way to confirm it’s a good fit. Don’t let all the anecdotal stories scare you, reassignment isn’t as common as the Facebook comments make you think.

WCPSS works hard to keep kids in their schools and keep families on the same schedule but as a fast growing area, redistricting does happen! Make sure you contact student assignment to know all your options for remaining in your current school. 

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Wake County Schools Podcast with Libby Taylor

We are grateful to have had the chance to speak to Libby Taylor, the founder of SchoolUpWake, an independent education consulting business, to help us untangle the web of confusion. Libby works with families in Raleigh and helps them navigate K-12 school choices for their children – so she is the person to go to if you’re not sure what type of school is right for you.

Libby brings a wealth of knowledge to this endeavor, with a career in education that includes both teaching in the public schools and providing professional development to teachers. 

To learn more about the Wake County Public School System, in our podcast with Libby Taylor, we talk about:

• Do Wake County Schools rank highly?
• How do you find out your base school?
• How do you enroll in your base school? Any deadlines?
• Do they have open houses, virtual information sessions?
• Year round vs. Traditional calendar
• How do I find out what calendar my base school is on?
• What is a capped school?
• How do I know if my base school is capped?
• What are overflow schools?
• How do you know what overflow school you would be assigned?
• Can you get on a waiting list at a capped school?
• What is a Magnet school?
• Do they offer different curriculum & focus to public schools? 
• Who can go to a magnet school?
• What is a Charter school?
• Who can attend a charter school?
• Do they follow same rules as public?
• Do they take state mandated tests?
• How do I enroll, what is the application process?
• Can my child enroll if the charter school is not located in the district where I live?
• What is the main difference between private & public schools?
• 1-2 top reasons parents choose a private school?
• Do costs vary? 
• Typical application process?
• How to start the school research process
• What resources are available online to compare schools?
• School report cards
• How can parents work with Libby to choose a school?

Listen to the podcast episode below…

For those who may prefer watching a video of us podcasting, we filmed that for you too, which you’ll find on YouTube each week.

Final thoughts

Deciding on schools is no easy task, and we all want what’s best for our kids and their education, so we hope this blog post helped you understand the different types of schools and school calendars. Now you know a little bit about each type of school, you can start your search and narrow down the type of school that’s right for you.

I also hope the podcast interview with Libby helped you get your head around Wake County Public schools and what you can expect from them. Back when we moved to Raleigh in 2004 and were enrolling our daughters into school, we found the whole concept confusing, so we are appreciative of Libby doing this interview and helping us unravel the mystery.

If you have any more questions about schools in Raleigh NC, and are looking for guidance in your school search, you can email Libby direct at [email protected]

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