Board Approves 2009-12 Multi-Year Assignment Plan
February 3, 2009 - The Board of Education has approved a multi-year assignment plan that will fill 10 new schools opening over the next three years. The plan was approved after an eight-month process that included seven public hearings, five community engagement meetings and additional comments that brought numerous changes shaping the final plan.Superintendent Del Burns praised the hard work of the board and WCPSS Growth and Planning staff led by Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney. “This is a historic moment providing families a picture of the new schools opening for the next three years that we’ve been able to provide thanks to hard work, shared planning information from our county and municipalities and helpful technology,” said Burns. “Our board members and staff listened closely to hours of comments, read thousands of e-mail suggestions and discussed the best use of our schools in our business of learning and teaching.”
The plan approved by the board includes 24,654 students, 2,117 less than the original Nov. 2008 staff proposal and 832 less than the Dec. 16 recommendations. The board has expanded grandfathering opportunities to include 45 percent of the students in the proposal, providing the option for more than 11,000 students to remain at their current school with families providing their own transportation to school.
A number of the students in the proposal are not currently enrolled in WCPSS. More than 1,400 in the proposal are kindergartners who will enter school over the next three years. Approximately 4,000 students in the proposal are not currently enrolled in WCPSS, but will choose to attend public school or move into Wake County during the next three years. The proposal would impact 20,230 students currently registered in WCPSS – if the entire three year plan were implemented next year.
Ten New Schools Open
In 2009, the proposal includes 9,547 students with the opening of three new year-round elementary schools: Banks Road, Herbert Akins and Lake Myra.
In 2010, the proposal includes 10,489 students with the opening of one year-round elementary school, two year-round middle schools and two high schools. The schools are Alston Ridge Elementary, Holly Grove Middle, Mills Park Middle, Heritage High and the unnamed H6 high school.
In 2011, the proposal includes 4,618 students with one year-round elementary school and one year round-middle school. The schools include Walnut Creek Elementary and Rolesville Middle.
The new schools provide additional space to meet student enrollment growth. Enrollment increased by 3,700 students for 2008-09, 6,400 students for 2007-08 and 7,500 for 2006-07. The new schools provide space for newcomers, alleviate overcrowding and balance enrollment at additional schools. Years two and three of the proposal are dependent on current and future capital improvement funding and student enrollment growth.
Parent concerns have shaped plan
In seven public hearings, the board heard more than 11 hours of comments from 224 speakers. More than 1,000 people attended the public hearings. This is the latest in a series of steps that included 1,400 online comments for the December recommendations, more than 1,800 people attending five community engagement meetings and more than 4,000 online comments on the November staff proposal.
Staff made two significant changes expanding grandfathering this year and another 13 recommendations for changes based on community input received in the public hearings and through online comments. Another 26 changes were made by the board during the work sessions on Jan. 22, 23, 26 and 28.
Goals for the Assignment Process
The recommendations made by staff are rooted in Board Policy 6200. The policy calls on staff to utilize six factors in making recommendations.
The six factors are:
- Create balance across schools in the distribution of students who have higher needs
- Seek optimal utilization of each school’s long-range capacity and reduce utilization of mobile or modular classrooms
- Improve alignment of student assignment with the objectives of the Magnet School Program
- Whenever possible move students together across levels and adhere to K-5, 6-8, 9-12
- Whenever possible assign for at least three years
- Consider proximity of nodes to assigned schools
The board’s goals for the assignment process include:
- Creating stable school environments (families, classmates, and peers)
- Protecting the ability to offer quality programs in every school
- Collaborating with the community (all parties/stakeholders)
- Creating and maintaining a diverse student body
- Alleviating overcrowding
- Filling seats efficiently
- Achieving academic success for all children
- Providing a logical progression between elementary, middle, and high school
- Creating good teaching conditions (the social, emotional, and physical environment)
- Retaining good teachers
- Ensuring consistency across the system over time
- Building a sense of community and connection (i.e. neighborhoods, parent involvement)
- Fairness
Policy 6200 is online at http://www.wcpss.net/policy-files/series/policies/6200-bp.html
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