Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/page/211/)
At a presentation before a Board of Education meeting Tuesday, consultant Robert Schiller called Wake County Public School System administrative services “strong,” but offered some suggestions for improvement. In response, Superintendent Tony Tata suggests creating three new positions to focus on increasing academic achievement.
Teacher assistants in the Wake County Public School System could see their contracts diminished from 10 months to 9.25 months if education funding is reduced to the levels in the current state budget proposal. The budget, now waiting for Gov. Bev Perdue’s signature or veto, cuts education funding by 6 percent. The budget approved by the Wake County Board of Education in May assumes a 5 percent cut in state money.
A pink line bisects Fayetteville Street downtown in preparation for Saturday’s Race for the Cure. Got a Raleigh image to share? Submit yours to editor [at] raleighpublicrecord.org.
Raleigh city councilors Tuesday approved $400,000 for loans to low-income tornado victims. They also approved three affordable housing projects and six “community enhancement” grants.
More than 7,000 new college graduates were just dumped on the streets of Raleigh — and most of them are looking for jobs. Part of the problem is the competition. NC State conferred the largest number of degrees in the state’s history this past school year — 8,022. But the economy isn’t helping either.
Some implored. Some stated facts and figures. All asked for more money. The Wake County Commission held a public hearing Monday for the proposed 2011-12 budget, which takes effect July 1. In other business, the board voted for new residency districts for the first time in 30 years.
A six-person team that spent the weekend making it easier for the public to access school performance data took home the top prize Sunday at CityCamp Raleigh. The three-day “unconference” brought together citizens, business professionals and city leaders to discuss ways to make government more transparent using open data and open-source tools. Team “Open it Up” was one of eight groups to vie for a $5,000 prize to turn ideas from the conference into actual solutions.
Wake Schools Superintendent Tony Tata and his staff this week presented the Blue and Green assignment plans at 10 high schools. At each session, they demonstrated the district website, where residents can enter their addresses and see possible school options under each plan.
The two-month comment period for the rewrite of Raleigh’s zoning code closes Monday. Some community leaders say they are still struggling to digest the technical document. The Unified Development Ordinance has been in the works for more than a year and puts the conceptual vision of Raleigh into law, as laid out in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Raleigh’s bus system experienced a 72 percent ridership increase in the past five years, rising from 351,061 in May 2006 to 482,935 in April 2011. Yet, thanks to ongoing budget woes, transit officials have no major plans for expansion in the next fiscal year.
