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Good morning neighbors,
Happy Election Day! If you haven’t voted already, you can still make sure your voice is heard at the polls today. Here’s a list of precincts in Alamance County. Unlike with Early Voting (for which turnout nearly doubled this year), voters should head to their assigned polling place to cast primary election ballots. Find it in your voter registration. And look for a roundup of the primary results and more from our news partners in your inbox tomorrow.
Before we get to meatier things, a quick reflection: This past week, I had a chance to look back on the amazing new people I’ve met across the county. Most recently, I attended a "belonging dinner" at Tanner's, a wonderful initiative hosted by the For Alamance Bridging Team. I’ve also enjoyed meeting with members of the Arts & Culture Team, attending Working Women’s Wednesday, and connecting with so many other dedicated community leaders who love Alamance County. The passion you all share for our community and its future is really inspiring and fuels me with purpose.
As we move into March, The Alamance Fabric will be dedicating our coverage to a topic that touches many households in our area: Education. We’re kicking this off in today's feature story.
To address overcrowding fueled by the county’s rapid growth, the Alamance-Burlington School System is currently drawing new boundary maps for the 2026-2027 school year. Before the big reveal tonight, we are breaking down exactly how the district and researchers decide who goes where come August.
Thanks for reading, |
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ABSS is currently undergoing a six-step rezoning process to address overcrowding in some schools. (Source: Alamance County GIS) |
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Tonight, hundreds of families will get a first look at whether their student’s school might change as the Alamance-Burlington School System unveils new proposed maps.
The maps are part of the district’s six-step rezoning plan, undertaken in partnership with SchoolCAMP, a firm within N.C. State University's Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd).
The work is meant to alleviate pressure on overcrowded schools, especially in parts of the county where the population has grown fastest.
Enrollment in ABSS dropped during the 2020-2021 school year. It has steadily increased to near pre-pandemic totals this school year to 22,569 students, according to state data.
Three ABSS schools, Garrett Elementary, Southern Middle and Williams High schools, are above 100% capacity, according to the latest school district data. Others – Wilson, Altamahaw-Ossipee, Elon and Southern Graham elementary schools and Hawfields middle schools – are at or above 98% capacity. The next most crowded high school after Williams is Southeast Alamance at 91.49% capacity, the district's first new high school in over 50 years, which opened in 2023.
“I've heard from a lot of optimistic teachers at Garrett Elementary that their school might be a manageable size,” Medora Burke-Scoll, president of the Alamance-Burlington Association of Educators, said last month.
Coming soon: A landing page for The Fabric! In the meantime, you'll be redirected to nclocal.org.
Read the full story... |
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What's shaping Alamance |
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A round up of key local headlines (from our partners and other news organizations) that are defining life in Alamance right now. |
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Here is the latest reporting from the NC Local team on big-picture issues that impact us all. |
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In this segment, we spotlight one of the neighbors shaping our community's future —brought to you in partnership with The Power + Place Collaborative from Elon University's Center for Design Thinking. Below is an excerpt from the profile. Click the video for more. |
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Emma Curry Alston
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“If you want to fix the schools, put a hand to the plow and help us.”
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"Emma Curry Alston was born and raised in Burlington. Ms. Alston is a lifelong educator and is recently retired from the Alamance County school system. Ms. Alston believes that education is the most important thing in a child's life and that education is a communal endeavor. A teacher cannot be the only source of education and structure for a child; the family and community must also provide support.
Ms. Alston laments that her long experience in education has led her to observe a drastic decline in enthusiasm among younger teachers. Teachers today face numerous challenges and often feel overburdened and burnt out, which negatively impacts the children. Ms. Alston says that the best way for teachers to teach their students is to work together with the parents as partners.
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Whether you’re searching for family-friendly fun or a way to get civically involved, here are a few things to do this week. |
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ABSS Solutions Session #1
Tuesday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m.
Williams High School
1307 S Church Street, Burlington, NC 27215
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Burlington City Council Meeting
Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Municipal Building
425 S Lexington Avenue, Burlington, NC 27215
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ABSS Solutions Session #2
Wednesday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m.
Southeast Alamance High School
3400 S NC 119 Hwy, Haw River, NC 27258
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Friends of the Alamance County Public Libraries Spring Sale
Friday, March 6-15; hours vary (Roundabout Burlington has them here!)
May Memorial Library Basement
342 South Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215
Pro tip: Enter at the corner of Spring and Davis Streets; cash only
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Alamance County America 250 Kick-Off
Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 a.m.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
5803 NC-62, Burlington, NC 27217
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Mini Movers
Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 a.m.
Fairchild Community Center
827 S Graham Hopedale Road, Burlington NC 27217
For kids under age 5; caregivers must actively participate
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Reminder: Daylight Saving Time starts 🕰️
March 8 at 2:00 a.m.
Clocks move forward to 3:00 a.m.
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Mebane City Council Meeting
Monday, March 9 at 6:00 p.m.
Municipal Building
106 E Washington St, Mebane, NC 27302
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