• Why Is DPS Enrollment Dropping?
  • Raleigh Sci-Fi Author’s National Following
  • ICYMI: Inundated by Stormwater in Walltown
  • Northern Lights in the Triangle
Credit: Photo by Angelica Edwards

Good morning, readers.

Durham Public Schools enrollment is down by about 1,000 students this year in the largest drop since the COVID-era decline.

I’m an optimist, but this exodus is simply not great news for DPS—the district receives state funding based on how many students it has. If funding drops with enrollment, then costs (like, say, keeping the lights on at 50+ school buildings) become more burdensome.

This isn’t just a DPS issue. Superintendent Anthony Lewis said last week that nearly every public school district in the state saw an enrollment drop this year.

In nearby Chapel Hill-Carrboro, the superintendent is hosting community sessions to talk about the likely $2.1 million drop in state funding that the district’s enrollment decline will likely cause next year. (DPS’s CFO told us last week that he’s doing the math to see what this will mean for DPS’s 2026 budget.)

So where are the dang kids running off to? It’s difficult to say exactly, but DPS recently highlighted a few trends that may give some clues. I took a look at some of those numbers in my latest story.

We’ll report back later as the impact of this drop becomes more clear. In the meantime, if you’re a parent who recently took your kids out of public school, I’d love to hear why. Drop me a line at [email protected].

And have a good Wednesday.

—Chase

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Jenna and Christopher Ruocchio. Photo courtesy of the subjects.

Final Fantasy

Fans from around the country are flying in for a gala to mark the end of Raleigh sci-fi Christopher Ruocchio’s bestselling series, Shelbi Polk writes for INDY.

Credit: Photo by Matt Ramey

Down the Drain

Nine acres around Walltown drain into Mandy McGhee’s yard. INDY’s Lena Geller looks into how she ended up with an open stormwater pipe on her property.

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LOCAL: The Wake County Sheriff’s Office phased out tasers in 2019 citing concerns about excessive force. WRAL reports the agency is now bringing them back.

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