Today's Wake County school board work session agenda looks packed.

Topics include rejoining the National Schools Boards Association's Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE), the superintendent search process, reviewing the student assignment plan and dealing with crowding at Panther Creek High School.

Let's start with CUBE, the group that gave Wake an award in 2009 for the socioeconomic diversity policy. School board chairman Kevin Hill has called accepting that award "one of the proudest moments in my long career with the Wake County Public School System."

UPDATE

The Democratic board members all said at the work session that they support rejoining NSBA and CUBE, pointing to the benefits of joining a national professional organization that represents school districts.

School board attorney Jonathan Blumberg said it would require a formal vote at an action meeting so Hill said it would be added to the Oct. 16 meeting.

Click here for the handouts for today's work session, including for rejoining NSBA and CUBE.

A Wake County Superior Court judge went further than expected today and yanked the charter allowing the N.C. Virtual Academy to open in August.

Sarah Ovaska, who has been covering the issue for the liberal N.C. Policy Watch, tweeted that Judge Abe Jones overturned an administrative law judge's ruling that granted the charter for what would have been the state's first online charter school. Jones has ruled that the state Board of Education's decision to not review the school's application was in effect a denial.

Based on statements that Jones had made at Monday's hearing, the thought was that the judge might refer the school's application back to the state board for further review.

The decision will be cheered by the 89 school boards, including Wake County, that joined the N.C. School Boards Association in joining the litigation against the charter school.

UPDATE

Click here to view a copy of today's ruling posted by N.C. Policy Watch.

Click here to view Satuday's N&O article by Anne Blythe. In the article, Bill Harrison, the state board fo education chairman, says now it might not be until 2014 before they're in a position to allow a virtual charter school to open.

Arguments will be heard today in Wake County Superior Court about whether the N.C. Virtual Academy should have been granted a charter to open in August.

The state board is trying to argue that an administrative law judge incorrectly ruled that it had waived its jurisdiction by not acting on the charter school's application by March 15.

Click here for the brief filed by the state board. For a contrast, click here to read the administrative law judge's ruling.

Click here for the brief from the N.C. School Boards Association filed in support of the state board. A majority of North Carolina's school districts, including Wake County, joined the NCSBA in the litigation.

UPDATE

Click here to view the article in Tuesday's paper by Anne Blythe.

Is the Wake County school board looking after its interests or being a bully by joining the lawsuit against the proposed online charter school?

As noted in today's article, the issue went 5-4 along party lines with the Democrats backing the N.C. School Boards Association's request that it take part in the litigation. The Republicans voted no, questioning the propriety of the decision.

"I think it’s anti-charter school and I don’t think we belong in it," said school board member Debra Goldman, the GOP nominee for state auditor.

More to come later, but the Wake County school board voted 5-4 along party lines tonight to enter the lawsuit against the new N.C. Virtual Academy.

The five Democrats voted yes, contending that the new charter school would drain funds from Wake by taking some of their students. They also said it was improper how the school went to the Cabarrus school board instead of the State Board of Education for initial approval.

The four Republicans voted no, saying there was no reason for Wake to interfere in the Cabarrus school board's business. Conflict of interest questions were also raised about Tharrington Smith representing the 36 school districts joining the lawsuit, the N.C. School Boards Association and the Cabarrus school board.

UPDATE

It turns out that Tharrington Smith doesn't represent Cabarrus.

Wake County school board member Debra Goldman announced tonight that she plans to nominate Tony Tata for North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

The Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance is soliciting nominations for regional superintendent of the year with the winner vying for the state recognition. The state award is given annually by the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Boards Association.

Goldman said that Tata, who has been Wake County's superintendent since January 2011, deserves the recognition. Fellow Republican board members Chris Malone and Deborah Prickett joined Goldman after she urged other board members to support the nomination.

Bill McNeal was the last Wake superintendent to win the state title. He went on to become National Superintendent of the Year.

Will the Wake County school board join a group of school systems from across the state in urging that a virtual charter school not be allowed to open this year?

The N.C. School Boards Association has gotten at least 35 school districts to pass resolutions joining in the litigation opposing the new N.C. Virtual Academy. Now the Wake County school board is scheduled to vote on the issue today.

Normally, new charter schools get approval by going to the state Board of Education. But N.C. Learns Inc. instead got preliminary approval from the Cabarrus school board in January to open the proposed K-12 school that could eventually educate more than 6,500 students across the state.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST  FOR LINK TO TERRY STOOPS POST

Also, corrected to say that Goldman is not facing a runoff for auditor. Her opponent did not request a runoff.

The Wake County school board is facing a lengthy agenda on Tuesday, including extending school waiting lists, changing the bell schedule for Middle Creek Elementary and votes on the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy and the career and technical education high school.

Staff is recommending extending the waiting lists for students who didn't get into their first-choice school from June 29 to July 18. Any later could result in a student withdrawing after the 10th day of classes in a year-round school and thus not being counted at the new school.

The board will also vote on moving Middle Creek Elementary from a 9:15 a.m. start time to 8:30 a.m. According to the board agenda, it's being done to treat Middle Creek Elementary, West Lake Elementary and West Lake Middle as  a single campus because of their close proximity.

Should the Wake County school board open meetings with a prayer?

Email records indicate that the Republican board members are more receptive to the idea of having prayer to open meetings. Democratic board member Jim Martin, who was sworn in on the U.S. Constitution instead of a Bible, cautioned against the idea.

The conversations started when school board member Debra Goldman emailed the board and board attorney Ann Majestic on Jan. 19 asking what Wake's policies were in relation to prayer at meetings.

Say hello to acting Wake County school board chairwoman Carolyn Morrison.

Morrison will chair this afternoon's school board meeting in which student and employees recognitions will be held. No other business items are expected to be discussed.

Morrison got the job today because school board chairman Ron Margiotta is out of town and vice chairman John Tedesco is among a group attending the N.C. School Boards Association's annual conference in Greensboro.