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At Friday’s work session, the Stanly County Board of Education received a draft of proposed redistricting, which could send 160 students to a new elementary school.

Mike Miller, managing partner of a consulting business in Charleston, South Carolina, made the presentation to six members of the school board. One member, Glenda Gibson, could not attend for personal reasons.

Miller cited a 2023 study, which noted the average annual growth of schools was projected to be approximately 135 additional students per year over the next 10 years for 1,352 in total. Included in the total is approximately 700 elementary, 200 middle school and 400 high school students.

For the current school year, Miller said his estimations were within 1% for the current elementary and middle school numbers. As of Stanly’s fourth month average daily membership (ADM), Stanly has 4,117 students compared to the estimate of 4,158 (a difference of 41 students, or 1%).

The middle school actual number in December 2024 was 1,977, slightly less than the estimate of of 1,994 (17 less students, .9% less).

Regarding high school, the estimate of 2,720 students was 3.7% higher, or 96 students, than the ADM number of 2,624.

Over the past two years, Stanly’s virtual education numbers dropped from 164 to 62, with K-5 students dropping from 26 to 3. Miller explained the reduction in virtual numbers most likely comes from students going back to “brick and mortar” schools.

Updating more findings from the 2022-23 study, Miller said the student generating potential of 370 different developments, both single- and multi-family across the county, were .4 students per developed residential lot, or .26 students per developed residential acre.

Miller said the numbers of 100 more students coming into the school system “reinforces the perception that you’re going to be continuing to grow, mostly in the west and the south.”

Because of Endy’s increased capacity (325 to 575) with the new additional classroom building in progress, Miller said his charge was to “provide relief for the growth that we’re seeing in the Locust and Stanfield (areas), and in Endy secondarily.”

Miller noted the planned redistricting was just a first step, but a big step, adding, “it’s not the end of the process.”

Board member Carla Poplin asked if the proposed redistricting would affect enrollment in the school’s dual language program. Board chair Robin Whittaker said she thought it would not.

Board member Bill Sorensen said SCS will have to be careful about transfer appeals, saying the biggest argument usually is a student’s sibling is at the same school.

When asked about how reopening Ridgecrest would affect the redistricting, vice chair Dustin Lisk said, “we discussed it with Mr. Miller in committee. It seems to be Oakboro is a better fit from the data, if there was going to be a new, larger school.”

Lisk also said the facilities committee looked at Ridgecrest to see how many students could go to it. He said from the Ridgecrest side of Locust to N.C. Highway 73 and Millingport only meant about 160 students would go to Ridgecrest.

Lisk said the committee believes a new non-choice elementary school in Oakboro “would alleviate (overcrowding) in all directions.”

Miller noted even if the board redistricts for Endy, “in five to 10 years, it’s not going to be enough if the numbers hold the way they are.”