It's clear that a lot of the school board campaign money is being given along party lines.

As noted in today's article, supporters of current board policies are getting a lot of backing from Democrats. Critics of current board policies are getting a lot of money from Republicans.

"I thought that maintaining diversity is very important for the county" said Wake County Commissioner Stan Norwalk on why he gave money to Rita Rakestraw and Lois Nixon.

The non-WSCA school board candidates are complaining about the alleged tactics of their opponents.

Karen Simon's campaign says that their campaign signs on Lumley Road in Brier Creek were removed while those for Deborah Prickett remained. it's being called a case of "unsportsmanlike behavior."

Last week, Democratic political consultant Perry Woods said four Debra Goldman signs were put in County Commissioner Stan Norwalk's front yard while he was hosting an event for candidate Lois Nixon.

A scaled-back reception was held for Carolyn Morrison after she was sworn into office today as the newest Wake County school board member.

Today's fare of punch, nuts and small pastries cost $184, according to Greg Thomas, a school district spokesman. That compares to $487.50 that was spent last month at Keith Sutton's reception, where hot hors d'oeuvres were served.

Among the guests at today's reception were State Superintendent June Atkinson, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, Wake County Commissioners Stan Norwalk and Harold Webb and former school board member Beverley Clark.

The 30-day pre-election campaign finance reports for Wake school board candidates are trickling in.

Candidates who intend to spend more than $3,000 have to have their report postmarked by today. As of this morning, five reports were in at the Wake Board of Elections.

The most interesting reports tell who is backing incumbent Horace Tart and challenger Cathy Truitt in the District 2 race. John Tedesco's report hadn't been in as of this morning.

Some prominent local officials are putting their money into this fall's school board races.

Campaign finance reports filed last month show a local who's who of Democrats and left-leaning unaffiliated voters among the donors for school board candidates Rita Rakestraw and Lois Nixon. Based on the report, both candidates seem to have deeper war chests right now than their opponents.

The latest reports from most candidats show relaively small amounts raised so far. The exceptions were Rakestraw, Nixon and Horace Tart.

Like a pendulum, the county commissioners swung back and forth Monday on whether to add $28.5 million to the budget.

At first, the commissioners voted along party lines with all four Democrats supporting adding the money and all three Republicans in opposition. But the vote later switched to 6-1 amid questions about how they'd fund the additional spending.

"We're now officially the most dysfunctional board in Wake County," said Commissioner Tony Gurley. "I used to think the school board was."

You guys may want to say hello to Gerald Grant, who viewed the blog Thursday before speaking at Quail Ridge Books & Music on his new book "Hope and Despair in the American City: Why There Are No Bad Schools in Raleigh."

In front of around 100 people, Grant forcefully articulated his support for Wake's diversity policy. Citing a February article, he took Dana Cope, leader of the Children's PAC, to task for saying, "how dare they use my children for a social experiment that has gone wrong and needs replacing."

"The experiment has not gone wrong as Dana Cope says," Grant said. "It doesn't need to be replaced. It needs to be replicated."

County Commissioner Stan Norwalk says this fall's school board elections "will test the cohesiveness of the Wake Community."

In a paper in which Norwalk is stressing he's speaking just for himself, Norwalk is warning of dire consequences should supporters of neighborhood schools prevail. He's warning it could lead to higher taxes and a negative impact on economic development in Southeast Raleigh and Eastern Wake.

Norwalk's paper, highlighting what's happened in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, says that parental choice and neighborhood schools are a “I win-you lose” proposition.

The last installment was the Q&A, or perhaps more accurately the "make a statement and eventually ask a question time."

It's going to be hard to hear but the first question was from Stan Norwalk, who attended Thursday's conference with fellow Commissioner Harold Webb. Norwalk asked if the speakers had factored school funding into their work.

Norwalk cited his usual mix of data on how school funding in Wake is lower than in much of the state.

Here's some background on Rita Rakestraw, who filed paperwork this week to run for the District 1 school board seat being vacated by Lori Millberg.

In an Eastern Wake News article on her candidacy, Rakestraw stresses her support for diversity. That helps explain the support she's getting from County Commissioner Stan Norwalk.

“I want a school system rich in diversity that strives for achievement in all students — working to the benefit of students at all academic levels,” Rakestraw said in the article.

UPDATE

See update at end of post.