Northside is still very new (this is the third year it has been open). The facility is very nice, but the playground is supposedly very small. It's one of the weaker elementary schools in the district in terms of test scores. If you look at
www.NCpublicschools.org, you can see how it compares to the other elementary schools in the district - not that stats. tell you everything, but it's a start. They haven't met growth guidelines and have scores of "C" from the state in math and reading. Most of the other elem. schools in CH have Bs.
I know three people who have/had kids there. One doesn't care much for it - the school isn't meeting her kids' specific needs. I know another one who wasn't thrilled with it the first year it was open, but I don't know if she liked it better last year. The third person seemed okay with it.
Smith is a good middle school. Chapel Hill High is a good high school academically, but I understand the facility itself is in desperate need of updating, but I *think* is on docket for repairs.
Overall, Northside wouldn't be my first choice for elem. school in the district, but I'm not sure if it would or wouldn't prevent me from moving to a house within that pyramid.