Community Meetings To Discuss Growth Management
September 9, 2005 - The Wake County Public School System today announced this year's series of community engagement meetings to inform and involve the public in the upcoming student assignment process.School enrollment grew by 9,500 students over the last two years and tenth day enrollment for 2005-06 indicates an increase of more than 6,400.
Such dramatic growth led to immediate measures such as the early opening of three schools in temporary modular campuses for 2005-06, as well as the ongoing construction program that provided Cedar Fork Elementary this year and will provide 10 additional schools in the next two years. Barwell, Brier Creek and Carpenter elementary schools as well as Panther Creek and Holly Springs high schools will open in 2006. The permanent Harris Creek Elementary will open in 2006. Five new schools - four elementary and one middle - will open in 2007. The permanent Forest Pines and Wakelon elementary schools will also open in 2007.
"The dramatic three year enrollment trend requires that we prepare space for these students," said Don Haydon, associate superintendent for the Wake County Public School System. "Our planning and scheduling process now ties school construction and assignment more closely together and gives families a longer term view of new school openings and student assignment. The Board of Education and school system staff are working closely with Wake County Board of Commissioners and county staff to prepare for the construction of new schools and the maintenance of existing ones."
The community engagement meetings will provide families the opportunity to hear the most current information used in making decisions on school construction and student assignment, as well as an opportunity to provide input into the development of new plans.
The school system will hold a total of 12 meetings in the next two months at locations throughout the county. Following are the meeting dates and locations:
Round One
|
Sept. 19 |
Wake Forest-Rolesville High 420 W. Stadium Drive, Wake Forest, NC 27587 |
|
Sept. 21 |
Green Hope High 2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road, Cary, NC 27519 |
|
Sept. 22 |
Knightdale High 100 Bryan Chalk Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545 |
|
Sept. 26 |
Athens Drive High 1420 Athens Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606 |
|
Sept. 27 |
Garner High 2101 Spring Drive, Garner, NC 27529 |
|
Sept. 28* |
Leesville Road High 8409 Leesville Road, Raleigh, NC 27613 |
*WCPSS changed meeting date from Sept. 29, providing school PTA leaders the opportunity to attend the community engagement meeting Sept. 28 and Wake County PTA Council Great Expectations meeting Sept. 29.
Round Two
| Oct. 24 | Wake Forest-Rolesville High 420 W. Stadium Drive, Wake Forest, NC 27587 |
| Oct. 25 | Green Hope High 2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road, Cary, NC 27519 |
| Oct. 26 | Knightdale High 100 Bryan Chalk Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545 |
| Oct. 27 | Athens Drive High 1420 Athens Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606 |
| Nov. 2 | Garner High 2101 Spring Drive, Garner, NC 27529 |
| Nov. 3 |
Leesville Road High 8409 Leesville Road, Raleigh, NC 27613 |
All meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and last for approximately two hours.
In Round One meetings, Associate Superintendent Don Haydon and Growth Management Senior Director Ramey Beavers will discuss and provide an opportunity for public input on the following topics:
- Current profiles of area schools,
- Data for at least two years,
- Projected growth in that area,
- Projected school construction,
- Needs of schools, improvements to sites,
- Keeping the 'big picture' as a priority, and
- Factors considered in the conversion of traditional calendar schools to the year-round calendar.
In Round Two meetings, Growth Management Senior Director Ramey Beavers
will discuss:
- Preliminary feedback on the public input received
- Timing of future school openings,
- Student reassignment to fill new schools and manage growth
- Short-range student movement,
- Possible movement for these future schools, and
- Other priorities that might be unique to specific schools or groups of schools.
The goals for these meetings are to provide parents and other interested community members more information about school construction and assignment issues, gather input from parents regarding school assignment, growth, proposed changes in assignment, school sites and construction schedules and identify for parents potentially affected schools when new locations are known.
After the series of meetings, the 2006-07 growth management proposal for the school system will be developed and is expected to be released in January. It will be available for public comment. The final plan is expected to be presented to the Board of Education in February, when public meetings will be held prior to its final decision.
-wcpss-