Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/author/mchen/)
An $810 million school bond on the ballot this year could be a test for voters on whether they feel like the economy has improved enough for the county to take on more debt and increase the property tax rate.
As a result of a new state law to redistrict the Wake County School Board, candidates running for the school board this year will have to serve shorter terms and run for entirely different districts come 2016. On Oct. 8, Wake County voters will elect School Board members to Districts 1, 2, 7 and 9. Under the new state law to redistrict the Wake school board, Senate Bill 325, ratified June 13, those districts and the rest of the nine current school districts have been turned into seven districts and two new at-large seats that will represent the county as a whole. This is the second redrawing of the Wake school board in two years and a dramatic redrawing of the school system’s political map.
With his exit on the horizon, the most divisive member of the school board of the past four years reflects on accomplishments from his term and what he would like to do differently now.
Six months after artisan incubator Kindred Raleigh Boutique suddenly closed in downtown Raleigh, Michelle Smith, the creative force behind the concept, is regrouping for new artisan space Gather. EntreDot, the business incubator with the lease on Kindred, pulled the plug after just three months.
Four candidates have tossed their hats into the ring for three of the four seats up for election on the Wake school board. The Oct. 8 election could be the last with the current district boundaries before the new redistricting law goes into effect in 2016.
With a drastic redrawing of the Wake school district map, state legislators will make school board members will play a round of musical chairs in 2016.
Members of the Wake County school board voted this week to hire Jim Merrill as superintendent. With a new schools chief coming in, we thought this would be a good opportunity to look back at the recent history of division and partisan politics on the board.
Three finalists vying to fill the vacant top spot at the Wake County school system met last night for a public forum. They spoke about magnet schools, bullying and the divisive politics affecting the Wake County School board.
