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Mid-Year Board Retreat

Chatham County Schools · Board of Education
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 8:30 am

Retreat or planning session Schools and educationImmigration and enforcementPublic facilitiesHealth and human servicesBudget and appropriationsHousing and affordabilityComprehensive planElections and districtsSubdivision and site plans

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What's on this agenda

Chatham County's school board spent a day-long January retreat on growth and on what it costs. The morning covered a district overview, early considerations for the 2026-27 budget, and what charter schools are doing to the district's enrollment and its money. A half-hour block was set aside for the effect of immigration policy on students and school operations, including what it is doing to graduation cohorts and attendance.

The afternoon was building. Staff presented enrollment projections from the research laboratory at NC State, a Chatham Park update, municipal development trends, a new elementary school at North Village, a modular classroom pod at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School, and three gymnasium replacements. The board was also briefed on future redistricting, on theme schools and the programs pulling parents elsewhere in the region, and on annual revisions to the district's mental health plan. The district publishes an item list and no agenda document or minutes, so what the board settled on is not on file here.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Jump to an item (34 on this agenda)
  1. CALL BACK TO ORDER (8:30 AM)
  2. WELCOME (8:30 AM - 8:45 AM)
  3. DISTRICT OVERVIEW (8:45 AM - 9:45 AM)
  4. 2026-2027 Preliminary Budget (Heads Up) Considerations
  5. Charter Schools Impact Overview (Financial and Enrollment)
  6. FUTURE PROGRAMMING & THEME SCHOOLS (9:45 AM - 10:30 AM)
  7. Current District Theme Programs
  8. Regional Landscape: Programs Influencing Parent Choice
  9. Potential Theme Models for Consideration
  10. Board Discussion
  11. LUNCH (11:45 AM - 12:15 PM)
  12. PLANNING FOR GROWTH (12:15 PM - 1:00 PM)
  13. Projections, Planning, and Implications
  14. FUTURE PLANNING: COMMUNITY GROWTH UPDATES (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
  15. Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd)
  16. FACILITIES UPDATES (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
  17. Announcement: Next Board of Education Meeting is Monday, February 9,…
  18. Adjournment (3:00 PM)
  19. IMPACT OF IMMIGRATION POLICIES ON STUDENTS AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS (10:…
  20. Update on Immigration Policies
  21. Impact on Graduation Cohorts and Attendance
  22. Discussion
  23. MENTAL HEALTH PLAN UPDATE (11:15 AM - 11:45 AM)
  24. Overview of Annual Revisions
  25. Key Adjustments and Areas of Emphasis
  26. Board Input and Considerations
  27. Chatham Park Update
  28. Municipal Development Trends
  29. New Elementary School - North Village
  30. POD at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
  31. Three Gymnasium Replacement Update
  32. Growth and Future Redistricting Advisory
  33. BREAK (10:30 AM - 10:45 AM)
  34. Strategic Planning (ONE Chatham and Strategic Alignment)

Agenda items (34)

Other · 11Presentation · 10Discussion item · 8Staff or committee report · 4Procedural · 1
  1. CALL BACK TO ORDER (8:30 AM)
    Other
  2. WELCOME (8:30 AM - 8:45 AM)
    Other
  3. DISTRICT OVERVIEW (8:45 AM - 9:45 AM)
    Other
  4. 2026-2027 Preliminary Budget (Heads Up) Considerations
    Discussion item Budget and appropriationsSchools and education
    Early considerations for the 2026-27 budget, ahead of the formal request.
  5. Charter Schools Impact Overview (Financial and Enrollment)
    Presentation Budget and appropriationsSchools and education
    What charter schools are doing to district enrollment and district finances.
  6. FUTURE PROGRAMMING & THEME SCHOOLS (9:45 AM - 10:30 AM)
    Other Schools and education
  7. Current District Theme Programs
    Presentation Schools and education
  8. Regional Landscape: Programs Influencing Parent Choice
    Presentation Schools and education
    The programs at other districts and schools in the region that draw Chatham parents away.
  9. Potential Theme Models for Consideration
    Discussion item Schools and education
  10. Board Discussion
    Discussion item
  11. LUNCH (11:45 AM - 12:15 PM)
    Other
  12. PLANNING FOR GROWTH (12:15 PM - 1:00 PM)
    Other
  13. Projections, Planning, and Implications
    Presentation Public facilitiesSchools and education
  14. FUTURE PLANNING: COMMUNITY GROWTH UPDATES (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
    Other
  15. Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd)
    Presentation Schools and education
    Enrollment projections from the Operations Research and Education Laboratory.
  16. FACILITIES UPDATES (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
    Other
  17. Announcement: Next Board of Education Meeting is Monday, February 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM
    Other
  18. Adjournment (3:00 PM)
    Procedural
  19. IMPACT OF IMMIGRATION POLICIES ON STUDENTS AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS (10:45 AM - 11:15 AM)
    Discussion item Immigration and enforcementSchools and education
    A half-hour block on how immigration policy is affecting students and the running of schools.
  20. Update on Immigration Policies
    Staff or committee report Immigration and enforcementSchools and education
  21. Impact on Graduation Cohorts and Attendance
    Staff or committee report Immigration and enforcementSchools and education
    What immigration policy is doing to graduation cohorts and to attendance.
  22. Discussion
    Discussion item Immigration and enforcementSchools and education
  23. MENTAL HEALTH PLAN UPDATE (11:15 AM - 11:45 AM)
    Other
  24. Overview of Annual Revisions
    Staff or committee report Health and human servicesSchools and education
    Annual revisions to the district's mental health plan.
  25. Key Adjustments and Areas of Emphasis
    Staff or committee report Health and human servicesSchools and education
  26. Board Input and Considerations
    Discussion item Health and human servicesSchools and education
  27. Chatham Park Update
    Presentation Housing and affordabilitySchools and educationSubdivision and site plans
  28. Municipal Development Trends
    Presentation Comprehensive planHousing and affordabilitySchools and education
  29. New Elementary School - North Village
    Presentation Public facilitiesSchools and education
    A new elementary school planned at North Village.
  30. POD at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
    Presentation Public facilitiesSchools and education
    A modular classroom pod at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School.
  31. Three Gymnasium Replacement Update
    Presentation Public facilitiesSchools and education
    Progress on replacing three gymnasiums.
  32. Growth and Future Redistricting Advisory
    Discussion item Elections and districtsSchools and education
    Growth and the redistricting of school attendance boundaries that follows it.
  33. BREAK (10:30 AM - 10:45 AM)
    Other
  34. Strategic Planning (ONE Chatham and Strategic Alignment)
    Discussion item Schools and education
    Strategic planning under the district's ONE Chatham framework.

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