Durham Public Schools has a support system in place at every level to ensure that students who are exceptional have an opportunity to learn that is equal to that of other students. The proximity to some of the most well-respected health care systems in the state has attracted many EC parents and their students to the Durham area. Some 4,000 of the 33,000 students in DPS are served by the Exceptional Children’s Program, making DPS one of the 10 largest EC programs in the state.