News and Updates for Wake County Parents

The following message was sent via email and text to all WCPSS parents on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. If you didn't receive this message please check that your contact information is up-to-date with the data manager at your child's school. 

 

Parent input is needed for Superintendent Search

On Nov. 21, Dr. James Merrill announced his retirement as superintendent of the Wake County Public School System. To guide the search for our next district leader, the Wake County Board of Education seeks your input regarding what qualities and characteristics you would like to see in your new superintendent. Take the parent survey now.

 

Board approved new student enrollment plan for 2018-19

We are committed to smart growth and planning strategies that promote healthy schools and address school crowding. We are projected to add more than 20,000 additional students by the 2024-25 school year. To accommodate some of these new students, we’re opening four new schools in the 2018-19 school year.  

 

The Wake County Board of Education approved a new student enrollment plan on Dec. 19 as part of our annual process to assign students to these new schools. This year’s plan also addressed student crowding issues associated with the state-mandated reduction in K-3 class sizes and supported balancing student populations. Only 3% of students will be affected by this new plan. To see if you were affected, use our address look-up tool.

 

Next month, schools will send a letter home that contains information about your child’s school assignment for the 2018-19 school year. You’ll also be able to check your student’s assignment in PowerSchool starting Jan. 4. If you have any questions about your child’s school assignment, please call (919) 431-7333.

 

We’ve simplified our process to request a new school.

We offer parents two opportunities to apply to change their school assignment – the Magnet/Year-Round Application period and the School Transfer Request period.

• Magnet/Year-Round Application period - Families can apply to a magnet school or a year-round calendar school Jan. 10 – 31, 2018. Learn more about applying to a Magnet or Year-Round school.
• School Transfer Request period - Families can request to attend any school on any calendar during Feb. 20 – Mar. 6, 2018. During this period, families who were re-assigned can notify the district of their decision to “grandfather” at their current school. Families can also request a transfer to attend their base school or request a transfer to a traditional-calendar school. Learn more about school transfer requests. 

Come visit our schools during Open House Expo

We open our doors in January and February to prospective parents and students during Expo 2018, to experience the great things going on in our schools. We welcome you to visit us, whether you're the parent of a rising kindergartener, moving from one grade level to the next, or new in town. Visit our Expo 2018 webpage to see this year's calendar!

 

Kindergarten registration begins Jan.  4

Kindergarten registration begins Jan. 4 for the 2018-19 school year. While you may register later, earlier is better. Why? The sooner we know how many children are coming to a specific school, the better we can prepare for you. A child must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 of the current school year to attend kindergarten. Learn more about kindergarten.

 

READvolution

In collaboration with the Carolina Hurricanes, we have launched READvolution, a reading challenge for elementary students in Wake County.  By Jan. 12, each elementary school who reports reading 2,020 books or more will be entered into a drawing for a field trip to PNC Arena on Feb. 21. It will include lunch and watching the Canes practice.  In addition, all students who have read at least 20 minutes per day (Monday through Friday) outside of the classroom will receive a voucher for a ticket to a Canes game! So, don't forget to have your student keep reading over the break! Learn more about READvolution.

 

Four students make U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Tune into NBC at 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 to catch four of our students in action at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Each year, the top 100 football players and the top 125 marching band members in the nation are selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

This year, four of our students were selected for this prestigious honor. They are:

• Alim McNeill, a defensive lineman for Sanderson High School who has committed to play for N.C. State next season;
• Samer Issa, baritone saxophone player and brass section leader at Green Hope High School;
• Jordyn Adams, a wide receiver for Green Hope who has committed to play for UNC-Chapel Hill next season;
• And Ricky Person, a running back for Heritage High School who also has committed to play for N.C. State.

Apply for a Magnet School Jan. 10-31, 2018

Our magnet schools create well-rounded students by challenging them with programs tailored to their strengths and exposing them to new experiences. Innovative and pioneering programs challenge students to think creatively and analytically to solve problems, while diverse student body populations enable students to learn and see things from a different perspective.  Information sessions will be held Jan. 4 (10 to 11 a.m.; 6 to 7 p.m.) and Jan. 18, 2018 (10 to 11 a.m.) at our central office location, 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary. Visit our Magnet Schools webpage to find out more.

 

Now hiring: Mechanics

Come work for WCPSS! We are currently seeking mechanics for our maintenance facility based off of Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh. Positions range from entry level Mechanic I to supervisory roles as a Mechanic IV, Team Leaders. All positions require a Commercial Driver’s License and may include an assigned service vehicle. Positions are full-time with benefits.  Apply online at: http://bit.ly/WCPSSMechanics  or learn more about working at WCPSS.

Are you getting too many texts, phone calls or emails from WCPSS?

Did you know that you can personalize your preferences for how you receive communications from the district or your child’s school? All messages are sent via email and text message. For urgent messages, we’ll also send an automated phone call. You can customize your message delivery settings by creating a School Messenger Account. Learn how to customize your communication preferences.