The Great Schools in Wake Coalition is mobilizing to get the new Wake County student assignment plan to include the diversity-related assignments.

In an email message dated Sept. 12, GSIW chairwoman Yevonne Brannon tells people that her discussions with school board members was "not encouraging." Brannon writes about a "board member who wants what we want but is too weak to push for it and too afraid to step up to the plate, because he is worried about community push back."

Brannon writes that "another board member who doesn’t seem to 'agree' about how to fix diversity-how to have balanced schools.....he seems to believe kids can choose out. After some discussion he agreed to 'think it over.'"

Some familiar names are on the list of people being nominated Tuesday for placement on Wake County school board advisory councils.

The nominees for school board member Jim Martin's BAC include former Assistant Superintendent Mike Burriss and Ann Overton. Diana Bader has been nominated to serve on school board member Debra Goldman's BAC. Karey Harwood has been nominated for board vice chairman Keith Sutton's BAC.

Some of the new BAC members were nominated by other people.

CORRECTION

Harwood was nominated to school board vice chairman Keith Sutton's BAC.

The Wake County school board has racked up $67,113.71 so far in legal bills defending the district against the various complaints filed or supported by the state NAACP.

According to page 1 and 2 of this handout presented during last week's budget work session, Wake has compiled $154,298.61 in legal bills dealing with the Open Meetings lawsuit, the federal civil rights complaint and the AdvancED review.

School officials are hoping insurance will pick up $87,176.90 but Wake is rapidly reaching its insurance cap. This means the district would pick up a larger share of any new legal expenses.