The Wake County school board approved tonight placing enrollment caps at 17 schools for the 2013-14 school year.

The elementary schools that are affected are Brooks, Cedar Fork, Fuller, Holly Grove, Farmington Woods, Hunter, Joyner, Lacy, Mills Park, Underwood, Walnut Creek and Wiley. Caps would also affect the elementary school grades at Hilburn Drive Academy, and Apex, Garner, Heritage and Holly Springs high schools.

Unless that school is already capped for this school year, newcomers who still move in after this late date can get in for the rest of the school year. But you've got a big problem, unless you already live in the school's attendance area, if you want to begin attending this fall.

Enrollment caps, school budgets and bell schedules are among the things the Wake County school board will deal with today.

During the work session, this handout shows that school administrators will recommend placing enrollment caps for the 2013-14 school year on 17 schools. This is based on how crowded those schools are after the declaration of base, magnet school and first transfer application periods.

Nine of the 17 schools already at the cap figure, meaning families who hadn't moved in by a set date can't attend this fall. The cap would go into effect at the other eight schools when they hit their cap figure.

UPDATE

A revised document presented today shows that 15 of the schools are already at their cap figure. Only Farmington Woods Elementary and Holly Springs High aren't there yet.

Which Wake County magnet schools, if any, should be worrying about losing their magnet status?

During Tuesday's school board work session, Deputy Superintendent Cathy Moore said the determination on demagnetization is a longer more drawn out process that they weren't going to discuss yet. She wanted the board to focus on the adoption of the magnet principles and which schools to include in the magnet grant.

But this color-coded chart showing how the existing magnets fare under the magnet principles could give an indication of which schools might be at higher risk. Green indicates strongly aligned with the magnet principles, yellow is moderately aligned and red and white both mean not aligned.

Wake County school officials announced today that 14 magnet schools have received national awards.

Combs, Douglas, Joyner, Washington and Wiley elementary schools and Southeast Raleigh High School received the School of Excellence Award from Magnet Schools of America, a trade organization. Those six schools are now in the running to win the Simpson Distinguished Merit Award, which goes to the top magnet school in the nation.

In addition, Conn, Farmington Woods, Hunter, Millbrook and Underwood elementary schools; Carnage and Ligon middle schools and Millbrook High School received the School of Distinction award.

"We're proud of all of the schools that Magnet Schools of America recognized this year," said Wake Superintendent Tony Tata in a statement. "Our magnet schools are a thriving, dynamic part of our school system, and their success is due to the hard work of students, teachers, and our supportive community."

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata is trying to reassure magnet school supporters worried about how the program will be affected by the new long-term student assignment plan.

As noted in today's article, Tata was effusive in his praise of the magnet program during a meeting Thursday with N&O editors and reporters He said that he recognized the importance of keeping a strong magnet school program in the new assignment models being presented Monday.

“A $13 million investment is fairly cheap for what we’ve gotten out of it and what we’ve prevented,” Tata said.

A Wake County school has been named the top magnet elementary school in the nation.

Wake school officials announced today that Farmington Woods Elementary School in Cary received the Elementary School of Excellence Award from Magnet Schools of America, a trade organization.

The award comes with a $2,500 cash prize for the school. Farmington Woods operates the International Baccalaureate Primary Year magnet program.

The trend of more Wake County families getting into magnet schools since the end of the old diversity policy is continuing.

School officials say 4,720 out of 8,476 applicants, or 55.7 percent, were accepted into magnet schools for the 2011-12 school year. Last year, 4,450 out of 8,732 applicants were accepted, or 51 percent.

A small part of this year's increase can be attributed to the opening of the new Wake NC State STEM Early College. But that's only 56 kids.

Next year's Wake County student reassignment plan is a work in progress with everything approved by the old school board under review with new suggestions coming in all the time.

During Tuesday's work session, Laura Evans, senior director of growth and planning, laid out to the board an explanation of the assignments being considered and the direction they're leaning toward. It will help to have your copy of the handout present.

The ensuing discussion showed how the thinking has changed to reflect the new student assignment policy. Multiple times, Evans talked about bringing students home, having them attend their neighborhood schools and moving the least number possible for stability.

There was an audible gasp from the crowd today as Wake County school administrators indicated they're considering moves for next year that would send more students to schools near where they live in Southeast Raleigh.

Laura Evans, senior director of growth and planning, said some items are on the table now that they're considering proximity and not dealing with diversity.

The gasp came when Evans said they might relieve overcrowding at Leesville Road Middle School in North Raleigh by reassigning some students who are coming from Southeast Raleigh. Since the nodes in question happen to live near the Walnut Creek Elementary, those kids could help fill that school as well.

SEE END OF POST FOR HANDOUT FROM TODAY'S MEETING

The actual student reassignment changes recommended on Thursday were small in number, but they show the difference in thinking with the new Wake County school board majority.

As noted in today's article, the board's student assignment committee recommended seven changes for this fall’s student assignment plan and left on the table for further review a dozen other changes. All were based on parental requests to have their children attend schools closer to home.

“We’re not talking about socioeconomic status anymore,” said school board member John Tedesco, chairman of the student assignment committee, after the meeting. “Once we pass the resolution, we won’t be talking about it again.”

(For those who are looking for the changes discussed Thursday, click the read more button to find the link later in the post.)