This op-ed has been signed by 292 Glenwood families and supporters at the time of publication. Find a list of signatories here.
Our public schools are in crisis. In the last four years alone, 57 public schools in N.C. have closed. Declining birth rates are part of the story, but so are chronic underfunding and private school vouchers that divert taxpayer dollars. These forces are making it increasingly difficult for public schools to attract students and retain the best teachers for them.
Therefore, many families in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) District were stunned to learn that Glenwood Elementary—one of the district’s most highly utilized and sought-after schools—is being considered by the School Board for closure, along with the possibility of splitting apart the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and World Language tracks of its STEAM2 (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Mandarin) program. While other schools in the District are at 55% utilization and have declining enrollment, Glenwood is at 95% capacity and is the only elementary school where enrollment increased in 2026.
The reason Glenwood has bucked state trends is simple: in an increasingly global world, Glenwood’s unique blend of Mandarin immersion, cultural learning, and STEAM2 education attract families from across the state and beyond to move to the CHCCS District. Many families moved to Chapel Hill specifically because this program exists.
Glenwood’s success is not accidental. Nearly a decade ago, district leaders faced many of the same challenges they are discussing today. After extensive planning and community input, the Board made a strategic decision to expand Mandarin DLI into the school-wide STEAM2 magnet program with a World Language option, to maximize the impact of specialized staff and resources, attract families to the district, and create a school where language, culture, and innovation reinforced one another. By every measure, that vision has succeeded.
Closing or fragmenting Glenwood would not simply eliminate a school. It would undo years of thoughtful planning and investment by previous Boards, educators, and community members who worked together. Glenwood is evidence that innovative public school programming can succeed. The question should not be how to undermine that success, but how to preserve and strengthen it for future generations.
The proposed closure is also perplexing because Glenwood is not among the district’s highest-cost schools to renovate, nor was it prioritized for replacement or consolidation in the district’s reports. Wouldn’t it make more financial sense to close a school that costs more to renovate and maintain? Taxpayers paid for extensive studies to guide evidence-based decision-making. What is the point of paying for two expensive reports, only to have their facts ignored?
This disregard of the reports’ data is particularly jarring to the Glenwood community, which is made up of diverse multilingual families. Glenwood is one of the few safe places in the CHCCS District where Chinese language and culture are visibly celebrated and woven into daily school life. Glenwood is a unique environment where the entire community is committed to learning more about a culture that is often discriminated against and vilified. It teaches all students to participate in meaningful cross-cultural dialogue with those from differing backgrounds.
The DLI and World Language tracks of the STEAM2 program are two sides of one coin. DLI allows Mandarin-speakers to improve their English in a supportive space and English-speakers to more quickly learn Mandarin. Similarly, the World Language track enables Mandarin-speakers to learn in an environment where their heritage is valued and English-speakers to learn in a culturally-rich environment. Split the STEAM2 program, and you don’t have two half-Glenwoods. You lose the synergy and integration that makes the entire school successful. Once dismantled, its unique sense of community will not be easily rebuilt.
In addition, the district should consider the long-term consequences of diluting programs that families see as one of the few spaces in CHCCS where they feel fully welcomed and represented. CHCCS risks losing the trust of the Mandarin-speaking and Asian families in our district, which comprise its second-largest minority. It will give these families a reason to move to other districts—and tell others to follow. Research on institutional closures consistently shows that families are most likely to leave when they feel their community no longer sees or values them. In a district already struggling with rising housing costs, CHCCS cannot afford to send that message.
Therefore, as parents, teachers, and supporters of Glenwood, we respectfully ask that Glenwood be preserved as a complete school community. We ask that you click here to sign and publicly endorse this op-ed.
Jennifer Tang is a Glenwood Elementary School parent in Chapel Hill. Bianca Allison, Kayan Cheung-Miaw, and Katie Wouk contributed to this op-ed on behalf of Glenwood families and supporters.
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