Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/tag/schools/)
A presentation to the Southeast CAC on a new elementary school at the intersection of Poole and Barwell Roads was met with skepticism from several in attendance, who said the project would benefit from more citizen input.
Last week at the North Carolina General Assembly a bill to give control of school building to the County Commission moved forward, another about filling vacancies on the board passed with bipartisan support. The governor also signed a bill requiring abstinence-only education for students in the 7th grade.
Wake County schools have seen steady growth since the recession hit in 2008. But this year Wake’s central office is seeing a high volume of traffic, and growth may be re-approaching levels not seen since before the recession.
Wake County schools currently builds elementary schools on 20-acre tracts of land. But 20 acres is hard to find in Raleigh, where school capacity is stretched thin.
In the Record’s ongoing effort to make school system data more digest-able, Education Reporter Will Huntsberry updates and analyzes the latest numbers on the controlled-choice assignment plan released at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
County Commissioners are considering a general obligation bond to help Wake Technical Community College with a $210 million building program. But with County Schools also in need, commissioners have decisions to make about the county’s debt — and a possible future tax increase.
As the new controlled-choice plan has been rolled out, capacity issues across the county have begun to rear there head. A major study to identify places for new schools begins this summer.
On Tuesday, Raleigh city council discussed whether the school system’s plans for growth and school capacity align with the city’s plans for higher density. Some councilors stressed the need for Wake to find capacity and emphasized the crucial relationship between city and schools.
A Record analysis of Census data compared to new school construction in Wake County shows a disparity in the number of schools built in Raleigh. We take an in-depth look at the numbers, as well as the plan for future schools, most of which are outside Raleigh’s city limits.
The Raleigh Public Record sat down with Wake County School Superintendent Tony Tata to talk about the school board, policies and the politics after one year on the job.
