October 8, 2010

Top News

King Named 2010 Principal of the Year

The Wake County Public School System named Dana King of Millbrook Magnet High School the 2010 Principal of the Year and Robert Grant of Briarcliff Elementary the 2010 Assistant Principal of the Year in ceremonies last night at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. The awards ceremony is sponsored by Pierce Group Benefits, the Wake County Public School System and the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.

King has been in education for 28 years and has been principal of Millbrook Magnet High for eight years. Prior to that, she was principal at East Millbrook Magnet Middle. She worked as an assistant principal at Athens Drive High and was a teacher at Sanderson High. She also worked as a teacher in California, Massachusetts and Ohio.

King is the current president of the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals as well as the Cap-8 Athletic Conference. She is a board member for Communities in Schools and the Triangle Leadership Academy. She was the 1995 WCPSS Assistant Principal of the Year.

Grant has been in education for 21 years and has been assistant principal at Briarcliff Elementary for 2.5 years. Prior to that, he was an administrative intern at Washington Magnet Elementary. He worked as a teacher at Washington Magnet Elementary, Durant Road Elementary and schools in New York and Washington, DC.

King

Grant

WCPSS Student Enrollment Grows to 143,000

Wake County Public School System student enrollment increased to 143,289 on the 20th day of the 2009-10 school year, 3,690 students more than last year.

WCPSS 20th-Day Enrollment

143,289 – 2010-11

139,599 - 2009-10

120,504 - 2005-06

The 20th day enrollment is a snapshot of one day’s school enrollment that is annually reported to the state. The count was taken on September 22 for traditional calendar schools. It was taken earlier for multi-track, year round schools and modified calendar schools.

The increase in enrollment of 3,690 students is more than last year’s enrollment increase of 1,893 students. In 2008-09, enrollment increased by 3,700 students; in 2007-08, the increase was 6,930 and in 2006-07, the increase was 7,568.

For this year, kindergarten enrollment returned to students enrolling for 12 months. With legislative changes to kindergarten ages implemented for 2009-10, last year's kindergarten enrollment was shortened by six weeks.

School Board Approves Resolution on Student Assignment

At its October 5 meeting, the Wake County Board of Education passed a resolution that made changes to the student assignment process and the development of a zone-based assignment model.

More News

Board Approves 2011-2012 Instructional Calendars

At the Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education approved the traditional, year-round, and modified instructional calendars for 2011-12. The calendars must contain 180 student days and meets all requirements of the calendar law. You can find the calendars online here.

Board Names Construction Manager for Scotts Ridge Elementary (E-32)

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education selected Clancy & Theys Construction Co. (Clancy & Theys), as the Construction Manager (CM) for this school. This request is in accordance with NCGS 143-64.32, which allows exemptions to the statutory selection process. The specific reason for this exemption is that this school is a re-use of the Small Kane Webster & Conley elementary prototype and Clancy & Theys has constructed its latest use at Herbert Akins. Due to this prior experience, it is anticipated that this exemption will reduce cost and help expedite the project.

The current proposed project budget is $21,416,218, of which $700,000 is currently available from CIP 2006 and $73,200 from CIP 2006 Offsite (public) Improvements. The total project budget includes pre-construction compensation for the CM of $100,000. However, since the CM is only authorized to provide services through the construction documents phase, this agreement is for $70,000. A future reallocation from reserve will be needed at the completion of design to fund construction.

The Board approved on August 10, 2010, design of Scotts Ridge Elementary (E-32), located in Apex. If constructed in this building program, it will be scheduled to open in 2013.

Board Names Design Consultant for Scotts Ridge Elementary (E-32)

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education selected Small Kane Webster & Conley Architects, PA, for the design of this school. This request is in accordance with NCGS 143 64.32, which allows exemptions to the statutory selection process. The specific reason for this exemption is that this school is the third use of their 800 student capacity prototype. It is anticipated that this exemption will shorten design time, reduce cost, and help expedite the project.

The two-story arrangement will be reconfigured to a three-story arrangement, in order to reduce the overall building footprint and enable the school to fit on the limited size site. The current proposed project budget is $21,416,218, of which $700,000 is currently available from CIP 2006 and $73,200 from CIP 2006 Offsite (public) Improvements. The total project budget includes total proposed compensation for the design consultant of $927,239. However, since the design consultant is only authorized to provide services through the construction documents phase, this agreement is for $556,343. A future reallocation from reserve will be needed at the completion of design to fund construction.

Board Approves Construction Manager for E-20 Elementary

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education selected Barnhill Contracting Company (Barnhill), as the Construction Manager for this school. This request is in accordance with NCGS 143-64.32, which allows exemptions to the statutory selection process. The specific reason for this exemption is that this school is a re-use of the Pearce, Brinkley, Cease & Lee, P.A., elementary prototype and Barnhill has constructed the three prior uses at Alston Ridge, Banks Road, and River Bend. Due to this prior experience, it is anticipated that this exemption will reduce cost and help expedite the project.

The current proposed project budget is $21,379,418, of which $700,000 is currently available from CIP 2006 and $36,400 from CIP 2006 Offsite (public) Improvements. The total project budget includes pre-construction compensation for the CM of $100,000. However, since the CM is only authorized to provide services through the construction documents phase, this agreement is for $70,000. A future reallocation from Reserve will be needed at the completion of design to fund construction.

The Board approved on August 10, 2010, design of a new elementary school designated E-20, located in north Raleigh. If constructed in this building program, it will be scheduled to open in
2013.

Board Names Design Consultant for E-20 Elementary

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education selected Pearce, Brinkley, Cease, & Lee, PA, (PBC&L) for the design of this school. This request is in accordance with NCGS 143-64.32, which allows exemptions to the statutory selection process. The specific reason for this exemption is that this school is the fourth use of their 800-student capacity prototype. It is anticipated that this exemption will shorten design time, reduce cost, and help expedite the project.

The two-story arrangement will be reconfigured to a three-story arrangement, in order to reduce the overall building footprint and enable the school to fit on the limited size site. The current proposed project budget is $21,379,418, of which $700,000 is currently available from CIP 2006 and $36,400 from CIP 2006 Offsite (public) Improvements. The total project budget includes total proposed compensation for the design consultant of $984,180 with $166,590 being paid under a prior contract. Therefore this contract amount is $817,590. However, since the design consultant is only authorized to provide services through the construction documents phase, this agreement is for $495,626. A future reallocation from Reserve will be needed at the completion of design to fund construction.

Board Approves Schematic Design for H-6 High

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Education approved the schematic design documents prepared by Cherry Huffman Architects, PA, for the construction of H-6, a new high school to be built southeast of Rolesville.

The current project budget is $72,692,517 (for a 2010 opening), of which $1,000,000 is from PLAN 2004 Start-Up, $71,007,898 from CIP 2006, and $684,619 from Offsite (Public) Improvements. Approximately $5,600,000 of additional funding will be needed to pay for offsite improvements, site adaption to the new site, and a delayed opening to 2013. The additional funds will be requested in the spring of 2011 after the design of the site adaption is completed. Pursuant to Board of Commissioner approval on October 4, 2010, the budget above reflects a reduction of $1,247,658 representing costs expended at the Forestville Road site.

WCPSS Participating in Make a Difference Day

Leading up to the 20th anniversary of the nationwide Make a Difference Day on Oct. 23, 2010, WCPSS is asking families and community members to help make a difference in the life of a Wake County student by creating and donating Early Literacy Kits Oct. 1-23.

Created by USA Weekend Magazine, Make a Difference Day encourages all Americans to become involved through volunteerism to help others. The event is held each year on the fourth Saturday of October. This year, all school systems in North Carolina have been asked to participate, by developing a way for members of the public to become involved with their local public schools.  

We are asking Wake County citizens, families and students to create Early Literacy Kits. These kits will consist of a two-gallon plastic zip top bag filled with items that parents and children can use at home to help promote early literacy skills.

The literacy and media services teams created the list of items to include in the kits: a new or gently used picture book for read aloud, a notebook, 8-pack of crayons, a pencil, glue stick, blunt scissors and a pack of 100 3x5 index cards. In addition, the literacy team is supplying a list of activities that parents and children can do together to promote literacy, and the Communications Department is supplying a DVD with suggestions for parents for insertion into each kit. 

Flyers promoting and explaining the program were sent to all elementary schools at the end of September. Families and students are being encouraged to drop off their Early Literacy Kits at their schools through Friday, Oct. 22. 

Community members will be able to drop off their kits on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Crossroads Office Building at 110 Corning Road in Cary and the Central Services Building at 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh. 

Once collected, the kits will be distributed by our elementary schools to students who are in need of additional literacy materials in their homes. Last year's K-2 book level report was used to help project the number of students in need of extra literacy support. Nearly 5,000 students have been identified for being at risk of not being on reading level this year.

Feed the Bin Recycling Awards Presented at Board Meeting

At the Oct. 5 meeting of the Board of Education, WCPSS Administrator Sneha Atwal recognized five schools that earned honors in the county-sponsored school recycling program, Feed the Bin. Through the partnership between Wake County Environmental Services, WCPSS Child Nutrition Services and Auxiliary Services, 1.3 million pounds of paper were collected among students and staff last year. Each school’s contribution to the paper recycling program helped to save more than 2,000 cubic yards of landfill space.

The Top 5 High Achievement awards went to the following schools:
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled – Millbrook High, 17,634 lbs.
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled per Student – Partnership Elementary, 23.6 lbs/student (for the second year in a row)
Largest Increase in Recycling from the Previous Year – West Cary Middle, increased 79% from 7,384 lbs to 13, 244 lbs
Outstanding Recycling Coordinator- Jeff Teasley, Head Custodian at Swift Creek Elementary.
Outstanding Recycling Club/Group – Mandy Speer and Pam Feamster, Partnership Elementary.

Other school recognitions who will receive a certificate include:
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled (in a Year-round School) – Barwell Road Elementary (15,833)
Highest Total Pounds of Paper Recycled per Student (in a Traditional School) – Jeffrey's Grove Elementary (19.9)
Largest Increase in Recycling Efforts (in an Elementary School) – Farmington Woods Elementary (increase of 2,732 lbs and 4 lbs per student)

WCPSS Administrator Sneha Atwal (R) congratulated school leaders, administrators and Wake County Environmental Services staff for their recycling efforts with Feed the Bin.