The Guilford County Board of Education voted to close four elementary schools following a public hearing on Tuesday.
Officials say the schools — Madison, Vandalia, Washington and Southern — are underutilized. Washington, for example, is at 42% capacity.
Only a couple of parents came to the public hearing Tuesday night. They praised principals and teachers, and spoke about the value of having a small, tight-knit community.
"We have staff that know each of our children's names and go above and beyond to make sure that our children have everything they need to succeed," said Southern parent Karmin Greene. "This environment cannot be recreated in a larger elementary school."
But officials say maintaining underutilized schools hurts the district’s already tight budget. They estimate the consolidation will save $1.7 million annually.
The first three schools are set to close in the 2026-27 academic year, and Southern the year after that.
Superintendent Whitney Oakley says those dates are intentional.
"We want families to have a long enough runway. I think it's a big deal to do this a year out, so that we have enough time to listen and engage with people." Oakley said. "And give them time to know and understand the transition and how we're trying to align resources to better serve kids across the whole district."
Residential boundaries will be adjusted to absorb impacted students. More information about the boundary changes can be found on the Guilford County Schools website.
Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.