Relocating to Raleigh > Schools by Address

Checking Schools by Address Before You Buy

If school assignment matters to you, the single most important fact is this: in the Triangle, public schools are assigned by the home's address, and assignments can change. A town name or a neighborhood name does not tell you which schools serve a particular house. This page explains how assignment works in each district and how to confirm it yourself.

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School Districts in Our Area

North Carolina public schools are run by county districts, plus a few city districts. Here are the main ones:

Other counties we serve, including Franklin, Harnett, Granville, Vance, Nash and Alamance, have their own county districts. Homes near a county line can fall into either district, so always check the exact address.

How Assignment Works in Wake County

Wake County is the largest school district in North Carolina, and it has a few features newcomers should understand:

• Base schools. Every address is assigned a base elementary, middle and high school. All new students start enrollment at their base school, then can apply for other options.
• Calendars. Some schools follow a traditional calendar and some run year-round on a track system. At multi-track year-round schools, parents rank their preferred tracks and the school assigns them.
• Magnet and application programs. Wake runs magnet and other application programs with themes like arts, sciences and languages. These have their own application windows each year.
• Assignments change. As new schools open, the district redraws boundaries. A home's assignment today is not a guarantee for future years.

Use the WCPSS address lookup for any Wake County home, and check the district's enrollment pages for calendars, application programs and deadlines.

Other School Options

North Carolina also has public charter schools, which admit by application and lottery rather than address, and a range of private schools. Charter and private school admission timelines often run well ahead of a typical move, so look early if you are interested.

Doing Your Own Research

We do not rank or recommend schools. That is a personal decision, and the official sources are the best place to start:

• The district's address lookup for the specific home.
• The NC Department of Public Instruction, which publishes school-level data and report cards.
• A call or visit to the school itself. Most schools are glad to talk with people who are moving to the area.

How We Help

When you tell us which schools you want to be assigned to, we can search for homes inside those boundaries and show you the district's lookup result for every home on your list. We will remind you to confirm the assignment directly with the district before you go under contract, and again before closing.

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