Orange County Public Schools

One of the primary reasons the Triangle consistently lands on top 10 lists such as “Best Place to Live” is the high quality of the public school systems. Orange County boasts two outstanding districts, the Orange County Schools and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools. The county is also home to the top-ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and many residents work in Research Triangle Park. It should therefore come as no surprise that the Orange County schools serve the children of one of the best-educated populations in the country.

The Orange County school district began the current school year on the heels of its most successful year to date, in terms of both federal and state accountability measures. The schools met 100% of their 2003-04 goals according to the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards. All schools made Adequate Yearly Progress, the federal measure of accountability. In addition, SAT scores in the district are higher than state average. The district provides many special programs, including the K-2 Reading Initiative, pre-kindergarten instruction, a full range of services for academically gifted children and numerous Advanced Placement courses.

Chapel Hill/Carrboro City (CHC) school district is one of the best 37 in the country (out of 15,000) and is the top-performing district in the Southeast. Among its many programs, CHC offers award-winning band and orchestra, top-notch athletic facilities and the integration of interactive technology into the curriculum. Of the 117 school districts in North Carolina, CHC has the highest district-wide average SAT score (1185) and the largest percentage of students who pursue higher education (81 percent at four-year colleges and nine percent at community colleges). Across the district, fifty-six percent of the faculty hold a master's degree or doctorate.

Parents, teachers and other community members work together to help ensure that all Orange County public school students achieve to the best of their ability. This deep level of commitment means that you can feel confident that your child will receive an excellenteducation.

There are fifteen schools in the Chatham County school system. Specifically, there are two K-4 elementary schools, two grades 5-8 middle schools, seven K-8 schools, three high schools, and one alternative high school. As of December, 2004, Chatham County Schools had 7401 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. All of the schools in the Chatham County district are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Chatham County Schools continues to reap rewards of the diligent work of its students, employees, and community partners in a variety of areas. There are many academic tutoring programs in place throughout the district that give added support to classroom work. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities in order to have a well-rounded educational experience. Clubs, athletics, and the arts thrive with the strong support of the school community. The school district, program areas, staff, and students are consistently recognized at local, regional, state, and national levels for outstanding achievements. The Chatham County Board of Education works with the Human Resources Department to provide incentives to attract and retain an outstanding teaching force.