Public Schools

There are seventeen schools in our school system, including three elementary schools, three middle schools, seven kindergarten through eighth grade schools, three high schools, and one alternative school serving grades eight through twelve. Approximately 7,700 students are enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grades. Several schools, including North Chatham, have pre-kindergarten programs. Six schools have after school programs, one of which is North Chatham. Schools in Chatham County Schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Each year, public schools in North Carolina are assessed using end-of-grade tests in grades 3-8 and end-of-course tests in ten high school subjects. This statewide testing program, which was implemented in the mid-1990s and is commonly known as the ABCs, measures mastery of the objectives outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. To learn more about testing results access the following link:

Chatham County Testing Results

School officials recognize that each school’s progress is enhanced by community and parental involvement. Chatham County schools have embraced this philosophy, and community involvement is at an all-time high. North Chatham, Margaret B. Pollard Middle School and Northwood benefit from many avenues of volunteerism including participation in classroom and school-wide projects, events that highlight community service and multicultural awareness. Booster organizations at each school support academic and athletic programs. In addition, the PTA chapters at actively work to support the activities of students and teachers.

North Chatham provides many resourceful programs for students. Character education, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), Young Authors, peer tutoring and conservation are among the many initiatives that support the strong academic course of study at North Chatham School. In the 2010-2011 year, the school will undergo a major change moving from serving PreK through eighth grade students to serving PreK through fifth grade students.

Margaret B. Pollard Middle School will become the district’s seventeenth school in the 2010-2011 school year and will serve students in grades six through eight. It will be a state-of-the art facility both technologically and in its energy efficient construction. The district plans to apply for the school to be LEED Gold certified. If accepted, it will be the first LEED Gold middle school in the state.

Northwood High School provides a wide variety of academic opportunities for students in grades nine through twelve. Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses are part of the academic curriculum. Students are able to take college credit courses through a partnership with Central Carolina Community College and Chatham County Schools. Students also have the opportunity to take a variety of online courses through the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS). By taking advantage of these, students have greater flexibility in preparing for their futures.

The arts flourish at Northwood High School. Northwood has had a modern dance program since 1972, when it became the first modern dance program in the state. The school also has theatre arts, choral and instrumental music and visual arts programs. The arts education department has an annual spring musical performed to sellout crowds. Individual students and the marching band routinely win competitive events. The Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation supports and promotes the school arts education programs in addition to sponsoring scholarships. A multi-million dollar arts wing opened in the fall of 2010 that was part of a Northwood renovation and addition project that also included a lobby being added to the gymnasium and an extension of the cafeteria the previous school year.

Northwood has many extracurricular organizations available for students. Clubs, Career and Technical Education student organizations, and athletic teams are varied and offer “something for everyone.” The school has had many state competition winners and several state officers throughout the school’s history.

Athletic teams at Northwood are highly competitive. The athletic department offers men’s and nine women’s junior varsity and varsity teams with many varsity teams consistently going on to post-season play. For example, the football team typically advances deep into the state playoffs each year. The men’s basketball team was state runner-up in 2009. In 2010 the women’s soccer team was the state runner-up and the softball team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.

A new high school located on Jack Bennett Road is currently slated on the county’s plan to begin being constructed in 2013 with a target opening date of 2015.

Chatham County Schools continually strives to progressively work to meet the needs of its students and staff through a well-rounded, student-centered approach. To find out more or to schedule a visit call (919) 542-3626 or visit the Chatham County Schools' website at www.chatham.k12.nc.us.

Private and Parochial Schools