Congratulations to John Wall and Fay Jones for being named Wake's top school-level administrators.

Wall, the principal of North Garner Middle, was named 2009 Principal of the Year last night. Jones, an assistant principal at Forest Pines Elementary, was named 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year.

Wake avoided what could have been a PR problem by not giving the award to Barwell Road Elementary School Principal Annice Williams, one of five finalists. Barwell has the lowest passing rate on state exams of any Wake elementary school.

Wake has announced its finalists for principal and assistant principal of the year.

The Principal of the Year finalists are Mary Page of Bugg Elementary, Annice Williams of Barwell Elementary, Teresa Winstead of Durant Road Elementary, John Wall of North Garner Middle and Edward McFarland of Fuquay-Varina High.

The Assistant Principal of the Year finalists are Melissa Blackmon of Willow Springs Elementary, Lisa Brown of Leesville Road Elementary, Edna Fay Jones of Forest Pines Elementary, Christopher Coby of Wendell Middle and Robert Matheson of Apex High.

School board members are miffed at the fallout from their decision not to do a study on the diversity policy.

During Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting, board members argued that they weren't against a study, per se. Board member Beverley Clark said the problem was that the question was framed in a way that was unanswerable.

Board members Horace Tart and Ron Margiotta had wanted staff to see if students who were reassigned from North Garner Middle School to West Lake Middle School for diversity reasons are now doing better academically.