Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata will attempt to turn the focus today  to the school district's STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) program.

Tata is holding his weekly press briefing this morning at Southeast Raleigh High School, where it's expected that most of the questions from the media will be about the new student assignment plan and Peace University backing out of the leadership academies. But Tata is holding the event at Southeast Raleigh to highlight Saturday's first ever countywide STEM expo.

After the press conference, school administrators are encouraging reporters to remain at the school "for interviews and video/photo opportunities of STEM programs at work in the classroom."

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."

How worried should the Wake County school system be about how the new student assignment plan is impacting the magnet schools?

As noted in today's article, the Democratic board members expressed concern Tuesday about the sharp decline in magnet applications. They also raised concerns that not enough academically identified students got accepted into Carnage and Ligon middle schools, which operate the AG Basics magnet theme.

“It seems to me that demand for magnets has gone down by half,” said new Democratic school board member Christine Kushner in remarks to staff members. “I’m concerned about that decline. I hope it’s something you are paying attention to.”

Some Wake County schools are seeing noticeable changes in their percentages of low-income students because of the student assignment changes adopted by the school board in February.

For instance, Davis Drive Elementary's percentage of students receiving federally subsidized lunches fell from 18.9 percent last year to 6.6 percenet this year. For Reedy Creek Elementary, it rose from 41.4 percent last year to 53.3 percent this year.

This came after the board moved what was projected to be 175 students from Davis Drive to to Reedy Creek, Combs and Smith elementary schools. The moves were supposed to to be proximity related so students would attend a closer school.

East Wake puts seven players on Greater Neuse all-conference soccer team.

Southeast Raleigh quarterback David Washington is named the Greater Neuse 4A Conference football player of the year.

No. 1 Garner 42, Clayton 13 (FINAL)

No. 3 Durham Hillside 33, No. 11 Southern Durham 21 (FINAL)

No. 9 Fuquay-Varina 19, No. 2 Cary 8 (FINAL)

No. 4 Wakefield 40, Sanderson 6 (FINAL)

No. 5 Leesville Road 63, Enloe 27 (FINAL)

No. 6 Wake Forest-Rolesville 50,  Heritage 7 (FINAL)

No. 7 Southeast Raleigh 53, No. 10 Harnett Central 26 (FINAL)

No. 8 Middle Creek 42, Lee County 24 (4th)

Broughton 37, No. 12 Millbrook 21 (FINAL)

Knightdale 10, East Wake 3 (FINAL)

Lumberton 22, Athens Drive 14 (FINAL)

West Johnston 35, Smithfield-Selma 19 (FINAL)

Panther Creek 25, Apex 6 (FINAL)

Ravenscroft 60, Village Christian 0 (FINAL)

Northern Durham 7, Person 0 (FINAL)

Franklinton 26, Corinth-Holder 13 (3rd)

Cleveland 35, North Lenoir 0 (FINAL)

Holly Springs 37, Green Hope 14 (3rd)

Chapel Hill 17, Cedar Ridge 0 (FINAL)

Riverside 14, Northwood 7 (FINAL)

Bunn 21, North Johnston 6  (4th)

Word of God 52, Hobgood Academy 0 (FINAL)

East Chapel Hill 62, Durham Jordan 49 (FINAL)

The Mordecai families who attend Conn Elementary as their base school got what they wanted at tonight's Wake County student assignment meeting at Broughton High School.

Superintendent Tony Tata told the parents that he had made the decision today to recommend that Conn's base students not be placed in the new feeder pathway that will send the school's magnet students to Southeast Raleigh High. Instead, the base students will keep the historic feeder pattern that will let them stay at Broughton.

Tata is doing the same thing for the Conn base students as what he decided to do Monday for their peers at several other magnet schools.

Since Monday, the feeder pattern for Broughton has been adjusted for it to now include base students from Conn, Joyner, Underwood and Wiley elementary schools. How this impacts Broughton remains to be seen.

Wake County school administrators are dialing back their recommendations to have K-12 magnet feeders as part of the new student assignment plan.

As noted in today's article, the revised draft feeder plan list posted on Monday includes a number of changes requested by parents. Those parents mounted aggressive campaigns to keep their existing feeder patterns as opposed to being put in new ones that would have them go to magnet secondary schools.

Some of the most vocal opposition came from families at Brooks, Douglas and Joyner elementary schools. They wanted to keep their historic feeder patterns that had them going to closer non-magnet secondary schools.

How much of an impact would going to express busing only for Wake County magnet schools have on the program?

As noted in today's article, Superintendent Tony Tata and school board vice chairman John Tedesco don't think the potential change would have too much of an impact. Tata pointed to the recent online test drive in which more than 70 percent of participants said only having express busing wouldn't discourage them from attending magnet schools.

Tedesco pointed to how the magnet school program still turns away a few thousand students each year. Even if fewer applications come in, he said he doesn't expect the use of express busing will cause them to have fewer applicants than seats.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST