Community Priorities and Plan Response


Introduction * School Construction And Assignment * New Schools: 2004 - 2009

Community Priorities and Plan Response * The Long View * Glossary

The Community Told Us

When assigning students, their priorities are:

The Wake County Public School System, through its Office of Growth Management, held a series of 11 Community Engagement Meetings across the county to help inform and involve the public in the student assignment process for 2004-2005. Participants recommended priorities in filling 7 new schools.

We Listened

The proposed student assignment plan includes:

Distance and Close Proximity

Community Said

Proposed Plan Includes

  • "Travel time for students should be a factor when students are reassigned." - 98% agree or strongly agree
  • "Travel distance for students should be a factor when students are reassigned...." - 95% agree or strongly agree
  • Of those reassigned, approximately 77% percent will actually move to a school closer to home.
  • On Jan. 6, 2004, the Wake County Board of Education approved $1.8 million for 25 new buses and 25 drivers to help reduce student ride time.

2003-2004 Average Ride Times

Traditional/Assigned Students

Average Ride Time

Average Route Miles

Students attending traditional base elementary

32 min

10.1

Students assigned

34 min

13.1

Students attending traditional base secondary school

38 min

13.3

Students attending overflow school due to capping

57 min

18.9
Students Attending Schools of Choice

Students attending magnet schools

51 min

17.3

Students attending year round schools

57 min

21.2

Students on an alternative calendar

62 min

22.5

Stability

Community Said

Proposed Plan Includes

  • "Stability for students is more important than reassigning students for feeder pattern adjustment" - 85% agree or strongly agree
  • Although the school system has only guaranteed three years in the past, more than 97% percent of students slated to move have already been assigned to their current school for four years or more.

Alleviate Crowding

Community Said

Proposed Plan Includes

  • "The most overcrowded schools nearest to a new school should be given the highest priority for reassignment to that school." - 88% agree or strongly agree
  • More than 76% of those included in the plan will move to fill these seven new schools - alleviating crowding.
  • Planning ahead, staff is developing the number and general location of new schools needed through 2020 in order to meet our future growth needs.

Provide Grandfathering

Community Said

Proposed Plan Includes

  • "When an area is reassigned to an existing school, grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 should have the right to remain through a transfer with transportation provided by parents" - 80% agree or strongly agree
  • In an effort to maintain student stability, a grandfathering provision is included in the 2004-05 plan. This provision outlines that students who have been assigned to an existing school may remain at their original school, with the condition that they provide their own transportation.
  • Fourth-, fifth-, seventh-, eighth-, 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-graders are given the option to remain at their original schools, when reassigned to an existing school.
  • Every effort is made not to reassign an area for a particular grade span (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) more than once over a three-year period.

Keep Neighborhoods Together

Community Said

Proposed Plan Includes

  • "A new school should open with free and reduced price lunch percentages similar to other schools in the area..." -57% agree or strongly agree
  • The school system developed consistent feeder patterns for the seven new schools opening this fall. When possible, WCPSS keeps students together as they go from elementary to middle to high school.