2005-06 Growth Management Proposal Fills New Elementary Schools

January 21, 2005 - The 2005-06 growth management proposal, one of the smallest assignment plans in the last 10 years, was published today for a two-week comment period.

2005-06 Student Assignment Plan Resource Center

The proposal involves 2,177 students and is the third smallest over the last 10 years. Growth management proposals in 1997 and 2001 had fewer than 2,000 students.

The proposal fills four new elementary schools, three of which will be modular facilities to be used as temporary sites until their permanent school is completed.

"We have listened to the community and parents of our students in seeking to provide the schools our children require," said Superintendent Bill McNeal. "This proposal follows the fall community engagement meetings held across the county and is another step in the process of listening to the community for input on providing the classrooms our growing community needs."

The growing Wake County population is leading to an increase in student enrollment. In the last two years, student enrollment leaped by more than 9,500 students. The 20th day enrollment for 2004-05 is 114,068. The Wake County Planning Department projects enrollment will reach 118,731 next year and will grow to 130,000 by 2010-11 and 160,000 by 2020-21.

The proposal helps to fill the new Cedar Fork Elementary School, which was completed two years ago. The school campus has served as the temporary site for Northwoods Elementary this year and Kingswood Elementary last year, while the schools' permanent campuses underwent major renovation.

The proposal assigns students to three modular elementary school campuses opening to meet the dramatic growth in student enrollment.

As parents attending the community engagement meetings recommended, students and staff at the three temporary facilities being used for swing space will move together into their new schools.

The growth management proposal was developed after a series of 12 community engagement meetings held across the county last fall. The meetings explained the dramatic growth in enrollment, the need to provide temporary facilities and sought public input on addressing these concerns. School officials heard the community restate last year's student assignment priorities: distance, stability, alleviate crowding, keep neighborhoods together and provide grandfathering.

The proposal includes a recommendation to continue grandfathering, a practice parents indicated support for in the community engagement meetings. Of the 2,177 students in this proposal, 358 could exercise the grandfathering option of staying at their current school and providing their own transportation. If all parents exercised the grandfathering option, the current proposal would mean reassignment for 1,819 students.

The proposal is available on the school system webpage www.wcpss.net and at the WCPSS Customer Service Center at 3600 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh.

Comments can be made:

The public input will help the Office of Growth Management revise the proposal for presentation to the Board of Education in early March. The board will hold works sessions to review the proposal and public hearings for comment from the community before approving the final plan in late March.

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