Destination DPS

Charting Your Child's

Journey
to Success

Navigating the educational opportunities available to your child can be both exciting and overwhelming. Our Pathways Tool is designed to make the process easier for you. By asking a few simple questions about your child’s needs, interests, and goals, we’ll guide you through the diverse range of options available at Durham Public Schools, including our traditional, magnet, and specialty schools.

Whether you’re looking for a school with a strong emphasis on STEM, arts, or a unique curriculum, our tool will help you explore the best choices that fit your family’s needs. We’re committed to helping you find the right educational path for your child so that they may thrive in a supportive and engaging learning environment. Your child’s pathway to success begins at DPS! Let’s get started on finding the ideal school for your child’s future success!

Let's Get Started!

Age(Required)

How old is your child? (Enter a number only)

Your child is not the right age for K-12 education.

Answer is Prek(Required)

Your child is is either ready for preschool or you are beginning to research preschool options.

All programs access through Durham PreK have a five-star rating and provide:

Licensed teachers
Play-based learning
Research-based curriculum

Do you know or do you suspect that your child has or may have special learning or other needs?

Yes

Complete the application for Durham PreK. All students are screened to determine their learning needs to ensure proper program placement.

values for child - prek(Required)

What are your values and priorities for your child's education?

To develop a global mindset, cultural fluency, and knowledge of multiple languages.

To develop a deeply rooted sense of community and belonging.

To have a balanced and holistic educational experience.

To develop independence and life skills at an early age.

Complete the universal PreK application. Then consider an International Baccalaureate or Dual Language Immersion program for kindergarten.

Complete the universal PreK application and request placement at your neighborhood, zoned school. Your child will be able to establish connections that can carry over into kindergarten. The DPS regional model is also designed to move the same cohort of students through middle school and high school together.

Complete the universal PreK application and request placement at a year-round calendar school. There are seven year-round elementary schools in DPS, including one that is 100 percent lottery and open to students from any region.

Consider applying to a Montessori PreK program. The advantages of Montessori programming include:

Whole child education
Mixed-aged groups that build leadership skills and independence
Individualized work plans

values for child - kindergarten(Required)

Your child may be ready to start kindergarten, or you may be interested in transferring into the district for elementary school.

At Durham Public Schools, EVERY SCHOOL provides:

High-quality, background-checked, and certified teachers
FREE healthy breakfast and lunch for all students
A safe learning environment and small class sizes
Bus transportation to and from school
Weekly art, music, Spanish, and PE instruction by qualified teachers
Instructional materials that are culturally responsive and research-based

To help you find the right school for your child, please tell us what are your values and priorities for your child's education?

To develop a global mindset, cultural fluency, and knowledge of multiple languages.

To develop a deeply rooted sense of community and belonging.

To have a balanced and holistic educational experience.

To develop independence and life skills at an early age.

Consider applying for a Montessori program school in your region in the annual lottery. The benefits of a Montessori education include:

Whole child education
Mixed-aged groups that build leadership skills and independence
Individualized work plans

Consider applying for a year-round program in the annual lottery. A year-round school calendar provides balanced breaks that support healthy academic, social, and physical development, as well as quality family time.

Consider enrolling your child in your neighborhood, zoned school. The nearby location of a neighborhood school supports a more sustainable community, and cohorts of students can continue together throughout their school years.

If your child is a rising kindergartener, consider applying for a Spanish Dual-Language Immersion program. This is a commitment through fifth grade. The benefits of a DLI program include:

Students become bilingual and biliterate by fifth grade
Students develop empathy and cultural fluency
Students experience international teachers

Alternately, you may consider applying for an International Baccalaureate program through the annual lottery. The benefits of an IB education include:

The ability to study French, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese
Development of investigative and problem-solving skills

values for child - middle school(Required)

Your child may be ready to start middle school, or you may be interested in transferring into the district for middle school.

At Durham Public Schools, ALL regional middle schools provide:

Rigorous academic experiences
Engaging electives and extracurricular activities
High-quality, background-checked, and certified teachers
FREE healthy breakfast and lunch for all students
A safe learning environment and small class sizes
Bus transportation to and from school
Instructional materials that are culturally responsive and research-based

To help you find the right school for your child, please tell us what educational priorities and interests you and your child share:

To develop a global mindset, cultural fluency, and knowledge of multiple languages.

To develop a deeply rooted sense of community and belonging.

To have a balanced and holistic educational experience.

To develop independence and life skills at an early age.

A desire for intense study of the visual or performing arts

Consider applying for a Montessori program school in your region in the annual lottery. The benefits of a Montessori education include:

Whole child education
Mixed-aged groups that build leadership skills and independence
Individualized work plans

If your child was enrolled in a Spanish Dual-Language Immersion program in kindergarten, you may continue it in middle school by applying in the annual lottery. If your child was not enrolled in this program, they may still be able to participate in middle school by taking a fluency exam. The benefits of a DLI program include:

Students become bilingual and biliterate by fifth grade
Students develop empathy and cultural fluency
Students experience international teachers

Alternately, you may consider applying for an International Baccalaureate program through the annual lottery. The benefits of an IB education include:

The ability to study French, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese
Development of investigative and problem-solving skills

Consider applying for the Durham School of the Arts in the annual lottery.

values for child - high school(Required)

Your child may be ready to start high school, or you may be interested in transferring into the district for high school.

At Durham Public Schools, ALL high school programs provide:

Rigorous academic experiences, including a full range of Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses
CTE career pathway programs
Engaging electives and extracurricular activities
High-quality, background-checked, and certified teachers
A safe learning environment and small class sizes
Bus transportation to and from school
Instructional materials that are culturally responsive and research-based

To help you find the right school or program for your child, please tell us which is most accurate:

My child is a candidate for intense and rigorous academic work, including college level classes.

I want my child to be prepared for college AND have real-world job skills and industry certifications.

intense academic work(Required)

Which of the following is true for your child?

My child also has strong skills in at least two languages or has a strong interest in languages and globally focused studies.

My child also has a specific career interest.

My child does not yet have a specific career interest.

Consider applying to the International Baccalaureate program at Hillside High School. The benefits of an IB education include:

The ability to study French, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese
Development of investigative and problem-solving skills

career interests(Required)

Which of the following best describes your child's career interests?

Information Technology and Computers

Medical, Health Science, and related fields

Engineering

Consider applying to the Durham School of Technology.

All of the Durham Public Schools early college programs provide students with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma along with college credit and/or career certifications. All tuition fees and book costs are covered.

Consider applying to the Durham Early College of Health Sciences or the City of Medicine Academy.

Consider applying for the Engineering CTE pathway at Riverside High School.

Consider enrolling in your regional, comprehensive high school and exploring Career and College Promise (CCP) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses for college credit.

Alternately, consider applying for the J.D. Clement Early College. All of the Durham Public Schools early college programs provide students with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma along with college credit and/or career certifications. All tuition fees and book costs are covered.

real world skills(Required)

Which of the following is true for your child?

My child is interested in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math and has a passion for environmental concerns.

My child has a specific career for which they wish to become prepared.

My child is passionate about the arts and wants intense, focused study.

Consider applying to the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in the annual lottery.

Consider applying for the Durham School of the Arts in the annual lottery.

Consider applying for one of the following CTE pathways that best aligns with your child's interests:

Air Force JROTC at Riverside and Northern high schools
Army JROTC at Hillside High School
Automotive at Northern High School or Southern School of Energy and Sustainability
Culinary Arts (Hospitality and Tourism) at Northern High School
Public Safety and Firefighting at Northern High School
Business and Finance at Hillside High School
Construction Management Skilled Trades at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at Riverside High School
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Sciences at Northern High School

Destination DPS

Charting Your Child's

Journey to Success

Let's Get Started!

Destination DPS

Charting Your Child's Journey to Success

Journey
to Success