Students from the northern area of Wake County sometimes called the “Lost Colony” along the line with Granville County were welcomed back into the Wake County Public School System.
In the Board of Education’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Superintendent Del Burns reviewed the correspondence begun by the Granville County schools. Initially, the tight budgets caused by the current state of the economy had led Granville County’s board to end a long standing arrangement where about 50 students chose to attend Granville County schools and WCPSS paid the students out-of-county tuition to the Granville County school system. When the Granville school board announced it was ending the practice, WCPSS took the funds out of the budget for 2009-10. In a recent letter, the chair of the Granville Board of Education stated that they had reconsidered their decision and indicated their desire to accept the Wake County students for the annual tuition rate for 2009-10. The rate for 2008-09 is $1,443 per student.
Board members heard today from Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney that some students in the area already attend WCPSS schools. Dulaney said WCPSS buses currently pick up 37 students that attend Pleasant Union Elementary, Lynn Road Elementary, Wakefield Middle and Wakefield High.
Wake County Board members agreed to serve all of the students who live in Wake County in WCPSS schools, or agree to give the families their release to attend Granville County schools, if the families choose to pay the tuition being charged.
The Wake County Board of Education does not currently accept students from outside the county, but if students start the school year in a WCPSS school and then move outside the county, the family is allowed to complete the school year in a WCPSS school if the family want to pay tuition for the portion of the year spent residing outside the county.