School Construction Report
Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.
November 21, 2005
BOARD AGREES TO ASSIGNMENT FOR NEW YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS IN 2006
In their Nov. 17-18 retreat, Board of Education members reached some agreements
on the assignment of students to the five new year-round elementary schools
that will open in July 2006. Like existing year-round schools, these schools
will have seats filled by application and seats filled by base assignment.
The new elementary schools include: Barwell Road in Southeast Raleigh, Brier
Creek in northwest Raleigh, Carpenter Village in Cary, Holly Grove in Holly
Springs and E19 which is being opened two years early at the Spring Forest
Road temporary modular campus. Opening the schools on a year-round calendar
allows them to serve more students. Students attend school for 180 days
on four tracks with three tracks in session and one on break. The board
agreed to continue its policy of grandfathering fourth- and fifth-grade
students who may be reassigned from an existing school to an existing school
and grandfathering only fifth graders who are assigned from an existing
school to a new school. Parents will continue to have the option to seek
a transfer.
After completing the community engagement meetings, the WCPSS Growth Management Office has been working on the draft 2006-07 Growth Management proposal. It will be presented to the community for comment next month. Growth Management will use those comments to present a proposal to the board in January. The board will hold a public hearing on the proposal before voting on a final plan.
In looking ahead to 2007, the board agreed to consider to convert a school from the traditional to the year-round calendar if 60 percent of the families attending a school favor conversion. In earlier conversion votes, the board required that 80 percent of the families agree to conversion of the calendar. The board agreed schools scheduled for a voluntary or involuntary conversion from traditional to year round should be identified at least 10 months prior to the start of a school year.
PLANNING CONTINUES FOR NEXT SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
Planning for school facility needs continued as the Board of Education
and County Commissioners met at Wilburn Elementary Nov. 16. The two panels
met at the year-round school as they work to shape the next school construction
program that will go to voters in November 2006. They are discussing options
that include new construction, expansion and converting schools to the year-round
calendar. Student enrollment has increased at a rapid rate, especially in
the last three years. School board and commission members said projections
need to take that rapid rate of growth into account.
BOARD DESIGNATES E19 FOR EARLY OPENING
At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Board of Education selected proposed elementary
school E19 to open early at the Spring Forest Drive temporary modular campus.
E19 is a proposed elementary school that would be built between Raleigh
and Knightdale as part of the next school construction program. It will
begin two years early in the temporary modular campus on Spring Forest Road
that currently houses Harris Creek Elementary. Harris Creek will move into
its permanent campus in fall 2006.
BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT FOR WAKE FOREST-ROLESVILLE HIGH CTE ADDITION AND
RENOVATIONS
At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Board of Education awarded a single-prime
contract to Riggs & Harrod Construction Co. in the amount of $2,934,648
for the construction of the CTE building at Wake Forest-Rolesville High.
The total proposed project budget is $3,974,077 of which $2,531,985 is currently
available from the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. A future reallocation
of $1,442,092 is needed to fully fund the project. PLAN 2004 Program Contingency
in the amount of $1,000,000 will be used now to fully fund the construction
contract and a recommendation for reallocation will be brought to the board
at a later date.
BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR E13
At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Board of Education approved construction
documents for elementary school E13, which will be built near the intersection
of Jones Sausage and Radio Station roads. The project will be funded from
the PLAN 2004 School Building Program. An estimated future reallocation
of $4,700,000 may be required in recognition of escalating construction
costs.
BOARD SELECTS DESIGNER FOR M5
At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Board of Education approved a design contract
with Cherry Huffman Architects for the design of M5, a middle school that
will be built near Wendell. The board agreed to waive the traditional designer
selection process in accordance with state statute since the firm would
be re-using a prototype for a new school. The specific reasons for this
exemption is that this is a fourth re-use of the Wakefield middle school
prototype and that Cherry Huffman Architects, P.A., was the architect for
the Wakelon elementary modular school and site work. This will shorten design
time, reduce cost, and help expedite the project.
-wcpss-
The School Construction Report is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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