Central Park School for Children, 724 Foster St.: kindergarten to grade 8, 570 students in 2024-25 and a C (59) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 assessment data and report card data and the federal NCES school directory.

Central Park School for Children is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten to grade 8 at 724 Foster St. in Durham. It is not run by Durham Public Schools: charter schools have their own boards and no attendance zones, and any North Carolina child can apply. The lower school (kindergarten to grade 3) is at 724 Foster St. and the upper school (grades 4 to 8) at 1001 North St., according to the school’s admissions page. The state lists its calendar as year-round.

Who to call

  • Front office: 919-682-1200, 724 Foster St.
  • School website: cpsfc.org
  • Applying: the school itself, not the district; see How admission works below
  • Zoned district schools for an address: the DPS school locator
Address 724 Foster St., Durham, NC 27701
Phone 919-682-1200
Grades K to 8
Run by Its own nonprofit board (public charter school)
Calendar Year-round
State school code 32K000

School leaders

Arlie Harris is executive director, according to the school’s letter from the executive director.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 570 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 591 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 609 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 15 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina gives every public school an A to F School Performance Grade, based 80% on achievement on state tests and other measures and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report.

School year Grade (score) Growth
2024-25 C (59) Not met
2023-24 C (67) Exceeded

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data.

From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment data:

  • At grade level or above, all state tests: 56.6% (state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 38.7% (state: 37.5%)
  • Reading, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 59.9% (state: 55.7%)
  • Math, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 50.3% (state: 59.6%)
  • Growth: did not meet expected growth

The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

How admission works

The 2027-28 lottery is March 2, according to the school’s admissions page. Priority goes to siblings of current students and graduates, children of staff and board members, and families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, up to 40% of each grade, with first priority for those families who live within a mile of the school.

Charter schools are free and open to any North Carolina child. North Carolina law requires a charter school to hold a lottery when more students apply than it has room for. Charter schools do not have to provide buses or meals the way the district does, so ask the school what it offers. Our Durham public schools guide lists the district schools for each part of the city.

Calendar and bell times

Charter schools set their own calendars. The school’s own website posts its calendar; the state lists Central Park School for Children’s calendar as year round.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Central Park School for Children serve?

Central Park School for Children serves kindergarten to grade 8, according to the school.

What is Central Park School for Children’s school grade?

Central Park School for Children earned a C, with a score of 59, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 56.6% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

How do you get into Central Park School for Children?

It is a public charter school with no attendance zone. The 2027-28 lottery is March 2, according to the school’s admissions page.