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The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School District has released three map drafts for the upcoming redistricting, each of which would change the schools for Clemmons children.

If any of the proposed maps are approved by the WS/FCS Board of Education, school district officials say that the changes should not affect any current students, with changes not expected to go into effect until at least the 2026-2027 school year.

The redistricting process is the result of a $1 million, two-year Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which was given to the district with the aim of increasing socio-economic diversity in the school system and enhancing transportation efficiency

“Socioeconomic diversity is important, but that’s not the only reason we’re doing it. We’re also very focused on modernizing our boundaries, trying to meet a state mandate that we have efficient transportation routes. From an operations perspective, we need to do this work one way or another,” Frank Pantano, the district’s executive director of choice and magnet schools, is quoted as saying in a release from the district.

One of the largest changes to the boundaries that affects Clemmons is with the boundary between Parkland and West Forsyth high schools. Where previously the entire village was within West Forsyth’s district, the proposed maps move varying portions of the village to Parkland.

Map A, which according to the district’s scoring system presents the highest level of socioeconomic diversity, would push Parkland’s school district west, including most of the area south of Idols Road beginning at Muddy Creek. The Bluestone Park Drive neighborhood would also be added to Parkland’s district.

Map B would present a lower level of socioeconomic diversity but would present the lowest amount of split feeder patterns, where a lower level school feeds into multiple schools, breaking up the school’s community. Map B would add many of the same areas as Map A to Parkland’s district while also adding the Clemmons West area to Parkland, with the Parkland district extending up to Interstate 40 at the most.

Map C presents a similar level of split feeder patterns to Map B while also presenting a lower average home-to-school distance. Map C does provide the lowest level of socioeconomic diversity among the three options. For the Clemmons area, Map C prevents a similar change to the high school districts as Map A, with the district moving south along Idols Road.

The current maps are the result of two phases of community feedback sessions throughout the county. The school system is now in a third phase of receiving community feedback, with sessions being held throughout the county to present the maps, answer questions and receive feedback.

The next session will be held on Thursday at the Fulton Family YMCA in northern Winston-Salem. The first sessions in Clemmons will be held on Monday, March 17. The morning session at 9 a.m. will be held at the Jerry Long YMCA, located at ​​1150 S. Peace Haven Road. The evening session at 6 p.m. will be held at the Clemmons Branch Library, located at 6365 James St. Registration for the evening session on March 17 has been closed.

Additional 9 a.m. sessions will be held at the Jerry Long YMCA on both Monday, March 24, and Monday, March 31.

Currently, the school district’s boundaries are approximately 30 years old, according to system officials. Due to the lack of updating in recent years, approximately 70 percent, or 56, schools have been classified as “economically segregated with high concentrations of poverty.” Research has shown that students, especially ones from lower-income backgrounds, do better when educated in a school setting with a diverse range of economic backgrounds.

The maps, along with answers to frequently-asked questions and other information on the process, can be found at wsfcs.k12.nc.us/page/fostering-diverse-schools.