There seems to be widespread agreement among Wake County school board members that enrollment caps, especially the new partial caps, are a good idea.

But as noted in today's article, board members were hesitant at Tuesday's policy committee meeting to sign off on proposed revisions to the capping policy. The main revision requested by staff was to insert new wording allowing the superintendent to implement partial caps to go along with existing wording permitting the board to set full caps.

“This is one of the items that I think all of us found pleasantly surprising in the proposal that we all sort of agreed to," said board member John Tedesco of the partial caps.

More to come, but here's a quick recap of today's Wake County school board policy committee meeting.

The committee didn't act on staff's recommendation to recommend changes in the capping policy, principally including wording authorizing the superintendent to place partial caps at schools. Board members said they will approve it at some point but want to flesh out the capping issue more in the assignment plan discussion before approving policy changes.

Board member Susan Evans floated the idea of limiting how long board members can debate issues, citing how long meetings have gotten. Other board members weren't willing to go that far and that idea wasn't incorporated into the proposed revisions of the rules of order policy that will go to the full board.

The committee also agreed to send to the full board the revised duties of board officers policy.

How hard should the Wake County school system go to keep siblings together at the same school?

During this month's student assignment discussion, school board member Susan Evans asked about the proposed rules for the first transfer period that guarantee that rising kindergarten, sixth-grade and ninth-grade siblings can go the same non-base school as their older sibling.

"Is it possible to include all siblings and not just the entry grades?" Evans asked.

It looks like the Wake County school system may soon hire an outside firm to conduct a review of the district's Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program.

During last week's school board student achievement committee meeting, staff reviewed different options for how to conduct the review that would help influence revisions that may be made to the AIG program. Click here on this handout.

One option would be to have the state Department of Public Instruction perform the review, possibly during the spring.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

Is expanding the use of enrollment caps the best way to deal with overcrowding in Wake County schools for the 2013-14 school year?

As noted in today's article, there was a lot of discussion Tuesday about staff's recommendation to put full caps on 12 schools for the rest of the school year and partial caps on 22 schools.

Staff pitched the caps as being an alternative to using reassignment to deal with overcrowding.

Should the Wake County school board fill Chris Malone's soon-to-be-vacant seat with a person from Eastern Wake?

As noted in today's article, some Eastern Wake leaders say the vacancy should be filled by a person who would be strong voice for the region. Malone's district includes most of Eastern Wake and also Wake Forest and Rolesville.

Area leaders say they want things such as more resources, magnet schools, electives and other programs to help with the high percentage of free-and-reduced-lunch students in the region's schools.

Does it make sense for the Wake County school system to hold a public hearing in a part of the district where students aren't being reassigned?

Wake County school staff had proposed holding a few public hearings on the new reassignment plan in northeastern Wake, where the bulk of the moves would occur.

But at last week's work session, school board members told staff to schedule at least one hearing outside that part of the county for families who might have other questions about the plan, such as how the base declaration period will work.

Should the Wake County school system go back to holding early release days or Wednesdays or continue to hold them on Fridays?

It's an argument that's been batted around the last few years with many families preferring to hold the six annual early release days on Fridays while many teachers would rather they be held on Wednesdays. For the last few years, the Republican board majority had opted for using Fridays.

But with a new Democratic board majority, it could be on Wednesdays for the 2013-14 school year. Some of those board members voiced support during Thursday's student achievement committee meeting for using Wednesdays.

Plans for the Wake County school system's first career and technical education high school are going forward, but school board members have some questions.

The board voted Tuesday night to approve an interlocal agreement requesting the Wake County Board of Commissioners to lease, renovate and purchase the former Coca-Cola bottling facility at 2200 South Wilmington Street in South Raleigh.

But some board members are worried that the program they initially backed to offer options for students who don't want to go to college has turned into more of an early college concept. In addition, board members are also uncertain about what grades should be offered at the school.

Wake County's three new magnet schools and two revamped magnet schools will look to make a splash with parents for the 2013-14 school year.

As noted in today's article, staff unveiled at Thursday's meeting of the school board's student achievement committee the magnet programs that will be offered at the five schools covered by the federal MSAP grant.

Click here for a handout on the themes at the schools and where they'd fit in the magnet program pathways.