Growth Matters: Special Parent Information for September 2004

A Message from the Superintendent

The people of Wake County have built a community that we enjoy and others admire. Growth has powered our economy and brought tens of thousands of new residents to Wake County.

Since 1990, our student enrollment has traditionally grown by about 3,000 students annually. But in the last two years, school enrollment grew by nearly 10,000 students: 4,500 students last year and 5,400 this year.

When we saw the number of students arriving in our schools at the start of this
school year, WCPSS Facilities and Growth Management staff began working on solutions for 2005 that are currently being discussed with the Wake County Board of
Education.

As the board discusses these issues, we want to share with you information about the rapid growth in enrollment and the many ideas that are being shared with the school board to provide the space needed for Wake County’s children.


Bill McNeal

Growing Student Population

Over the four-year period from 1999 to 2002, Wake County student enrollment grew by 12,000 students. In just the last two years, enrollment has grown by nearly 10,000 students. The influx of students is greater than projections and requires immediate short-term action.

Wake County voters have supported the construction of new schools by approving bond referendums in 2000 and 2003. The school construction program provided in an additional seven new schools this year. Cedar Fork Elementary is scheduled to open in 2005-06 and seven new schools are scheduled to open in 2006-07.

The rapid rate of recent growth along with the state mandate to reduce third-grade class size requires additional steps to meet the start of the 2005 school year. WCPSS will need space for 4,000 elementary students when school opens for 2005-06. More than half of those seats will be needed at schools in Central Wake County, but additional space demands are countywide. WCPSS will also need space for 1,237 additional high school students.

Modular classroom buildings and mobile classroom units already are used to handle the crowding at schools in Central Wake County. Fox Road Elementary has 18 mobiles and Wilburn Year-Round Elementary has 13. There are a total of 17 WCPSS elementary schools with more than 10 mobile units.

When the school year began, school administrators saw the dramatic increase in new students. They understood the impact this rapid growth would have for 2005 and began looking at options. They discussed a range of options with the Wake County Board of Education in a committee meeting September 7 and discussed the options with the school board and Wake County Board of Commissioners September 15. Administrators say they need to have decisions from school board members by the October 5 board meeting to address these short-term space needs for the start of the next school year.

First steps

WCPSS will open the new Cedar Fork Elementary providing space in the Morrisville area for 612 students. Renovations will be completed at North Garner Middle and mobile units will remain on campus providing space in the Garner area for 178 students.

Options for 2005

In order to meet the needs caused by this sudden surge in student enrollment, the Board of Education has been presented options to consider related to scheduling, facilities and programs. The options either bear a significant capital cost, impact instruction, or impact family routines. Here is a brief summary of the ideas being discussed.

Scheduling–related options

Expand year-round – Expanding use of the year-round calendar systemwide or at selected schools could add space for 110 students per elementary school, 500 students per high school or 300 students per middle school. This could add capacity with no additional capital costs, but does have some operational cost implications.

Double shift or flexible schedules at middle or high schools – Creating double shifts or flexible schedules for students would allow more students to use a school campus and would extend the school day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The state limits a student’s day when schools operate on double shifts to 5.5 hours so it would require some overlap to make it work. This could add capacity with no additional capital costs.

Facilities–related options

You may download the printed version of this document in Adobe Reader format. It is currently being distributed to WCPSS parents through their schools.

Add mobile units and modular classroom units – Adding 165 mobile units, two modular classroom schools, a modular classroom sixth-grade center and modular classroom ninth-grade center would provide space for 5,500 students and would cost $19.7 million.

This option would place mobile units at existing schools, but would require additional sites for the four modular schools. Sites considered include the proposed Heritage High School site, land near the new Forestville Road Elementary School, land on Noble Road near Joyner Elementary, land that would be purchased for a future school, or land that would be leased for the modular schools.

Another prospect was renovation of the Old Carver Elementary campus. It would require major renovations costing $3 million to provide space for 200 students. It could later serve as the eastern Wake County pre-kindergarten facility that is part of the PLAN 2004 school construction program.

Lease property to be retrofitted

Program–related options

Reducing, eliminating or outsourcing some program services could provide additional classroom space for students. The options free varying amounts of space for students.

Making kindergarten a half-day would provide space for 3,450 elementary students with no additional capital costs. Requiring art and music teachers to work from carts in order to use their classrooms for core instruction would provide space for 1,500 students with no additional capital costs.

Dissolving Ready to Learn centers at six schools would provide six classrooms for a total of 138 students. Eliminating Title I Pre-Kindergarten services would provide six classrooms that may be usable for special programs Pre-Kindergarten needs. Cafeterias could be converted into classrooms providing three elementary or six high school classrooms.

Contracting special programs Pre-Kindergarten with outside agencies would provide 48 classroom spaces for 1,100 students.