So how good is the Wake County school system?

That's the focus of the package in today's paper, which looks at how Wake fares against some other districts it's long compared itself with. Some maintain that Wake is one of the best districts in the nation while others say that's an over the top statement.

"Wake is one of the best school systems in the nation," said Yevonne Brannon, chairwoman of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition. "We had a few hiccups a few years ago but we’re on the way back. We’ve got a strong school board and a very capable staff."

I'm going to do separate posts, probably one per day, about the three finalists for Wake County schools superintendent.

Today's article has an overview of all three finalists. I'm going to start first with Dana Bedden, superintendent of the Irving Independent School District in Texas, as he's the least known locally.

Bedden was also the lone finalist willing to talk Wednesday. He called close to deadline so I was only able to put a fraction of what he said in the print article. Consider this the bonus coverage.

While much of the attention was focused on the combative Wake County school board elections, an equally hot fight was going on at Enloe High School over whether to move to a block schedule.

An Enloe faculty group had proposed switching to a block schedule as a way to help the low-performing students. But a vocal group of Enloe parents, students and teachers opposed the switch.

Last month, 65 percent of the faculty that voted rejected making the switch to the block so the issue appears to be dead for the 2012-13 school year. But it generated a lot of controversy along the way at the magnet school.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST FOR LINK TO PDF OF PRESENTATION THAT STAFF MADE TO PARENTS

Is Enloe High School a tale of two schools with one for magnet students and another for base students?

As noted in today's article by Jane Stancill, students and parents aren't disputing that the advanced courses at Enloe are largely made up of white and Asian students with the regular courses are often predominantly black and Latino. But they disagreed on whether that's a big problem for Enloe.

The highly visible role that Enloe students and parents have taken fighting the Wake County school board over eliminating the diversity policy has put the situation at the school under the microscope.

New Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata got a first-hand look Tuesday at what school board meetings will be like, from emotional public speakers to bickering by board members.

Most of the 39 speakers who signed up railed against the school board over the student reassignment plan and the elimination of the use of socioeconomic diversity. Some speakers got even more personal, particularly  directing their attacks at school board member John Tedesco.

Several speakers welcomed Tata. But Tata was also warned by speakers to restore diversity or else he and the school district would face dire consequences.

The most anticipated discussion topic at last week's Wake County school board economically disadvantaged student performance task force meeting was the Fund 6 balances for individual schools.

Each school maintains a Fund 6 account for the revenues they generate. The amounts vary widely among the schools and are used to pay for a variety of things.

Questions about Enloe High School having the most Fund 6 revenue this past fiscal year of any school in the district at $649,325.95 took up a good chunk of the discussion. Click here for the handouts.

How well do you think the new and somewhat fractured majority on the Wake County school board performed this past school year?

As noted in today's article, this past year saw a lot of fire and brimstone on the issue of student assignment and school diversity. While the former majority members say they wish they could have done more, they're pleased overall with what they did accomplish on student assignment and other issues.

“We’ve been doing some good things," said school board member Chris Malone. "We’re moving forward. We’re trying to get student assignment worked out."

The Wake County school board student assignment committee spent time Tuesday reviewing equity and program offering in the district.

Interim Superintendent Donna Hargens used the cupcake analogy in which she said that all schools should have the same basic foundations, or "cake." She said magnet schools have the "icing" such as arts programs.

For Advanced Placement programs, Hargens said they try to give high school students equal access to those courses. She pointed to how students travel physically or electronically to take AP courses not offered by their school.

Retired Wake County Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney argued Monday night that student assignment can be an effective tool for helping academic achievement.

Dulaney, the first speaker at the Great Schools in Wake Coalition's back-to-schools forum, said that using student assignment to balance schools can provide students the opportunities and support they need to succeed. Along the way, he said the distance that students travel to school is less important than what's at the school they attend

"Student assignment has a lot to do with opportunity," said Dulaney, who oversaw student assignment until he retired March 1. "The mixture of students in schools have a lot to do with the opportunities in those schools."

The Wake County school system is trumpeting some new initiatives that will be launched for the 2010-11 school year at Knightdale High School.

In a media advisory today, reporters are invited to attend Knightdale High tomorrow to hear Principal Carla Jernigan talk about a new Academy for Environmental Sciences and a new Freshmen Leadership Academy, Jernigan will also discuss a new initiative in which Knightdale and Green Hope high schools will jointly offer Advanced Placement and foreign language classes.

Also present Tuesday will be interim Superintendent Donna Hargens, school board chairman Ron Margiotta, school board member Chris Malone, Wake County Commissioner Joe Bryan, Knightdale Mayor Russell Killen and Knightdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Bryan.