With a goal of Better Serving all Students and Families, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) has launched a two-year planning process to explore options for modernizing the District’s residential boundaries to increase socioeconomic diversity and enhance school transportation efficiency.

WS/FCS is the fourth largest school district in North Carolina, yet our residential boundaries have remained largely unchanged since we launched the School Choice Plan more than 30 years ago. As a result, our schools are less socio-economically diverse and student transportation is inefficient.

WS/FCS Fostering Diverse Schools initiative is supported by a unique two-year Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.. The nearly $1 million in funding from the federal Fostering Diverse Schools program enables WS/FCS to

• conduct an in-depth assessment of the district’s current residential boundaries with input from families, students, staff and the community

• develop a comprehensive plan designed to enhance socio-economic diversity in our schools and realize transportation efficiencies

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) was awarded the two-year planning Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant totaling $943,688 from U.S. Department of Education. This grant aims to support WS/FCS in creating a comprehensive plan to modernize residential boundaries to enhance socioeconomic diversity and improve transportation efficiency across the district.  The project will be carried out over four phases, culminating in the presentation of stakeholder-vetted models to the Board of Education for consideration and implementation. WS/FCS is one of twelve school districts in the country that received this 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.