The Wake County school system received 9,452 online survey responses on the proposed bell schedule changes.

The survey period, which ran from 5 p.m. Feb. 9 to 10 p.m. Feb. 16, had some issues. Wake apparently didn't test out the survey's compatibility with all the most commonly used browsers, as shown by the problem with Firefox users.

The survey results will be provided to school board members as they discuss the proposal during Tuesday's work session.

The Great Schools in Wake Coalition's latest attempt to derail the new Wake County student assignment plan is to criticize it by attacking the proposed bell schedule changes unveiled by Superintendent Tony Tata.

In a press release today, GSIW writes that the "the latest proposal tied to the new assignment plan — a new busing system that significantly affects bell schedules—boasts a theoretical cost savings based on the old assignment plan, without demonstrating how it will offset the undocumented costs of the new." Tata has denied that the bell schedule changes are being caused by the assignment plan, something that GSIW evidently disbelieves.

"Superintendent Tata's actions continue to erode the public's trust," says GSIW chairwoman Yevonne Brannon in the release. "The plan he rushed through is starting to show signs of real inadequacy, but rather than responding to the community's concerns in a comprehensive way, he is forging ahead. He presented the new transportation plan to the public as if it were a 'done deal' — despite the fact that the Board has yet to vote on it."

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

You may want to consider retaking the Wake County school system's survey on the bell schedule changes.

School officials say that a coding error prevented Firefox users from successfully answering the survey Thursday night and part of Friday morning. The problem has since been fixed.

Firefox users who attempted to take the survey before 9:50 a.m. on Friday  should retake the survey, unless they successfully submitted their survey answers using a different browser.

If you're uncertain, check to see if you're listed in this file of people who had responded to the survey as of Tuesday.

Wake County parents are venting their frustration about the bell schedule proposal in the school system's online survey.

As noted in today's article, a number of the more than 6,200 responses to the survey have complained that the time changes would result in higher costs for before- and after-school care. Parents talked about how they have incorporated the current schedule into their tight work schedules.

"I do NOT want to lose my job over having to change my hours nor do I want to pay money for before AND afterschool care," said Nicole Hardy in the survey about the change at Sycamore Creek Elementary "50 minutes of change is TOO much."

I'd like to hear from you if you've taken the Wake County school system's online survey on the bell schedule changes.

Please shoot me an email at keung.hui@newsobserver.com.

Here's the quick recap of today's press conference held by Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata.

Tata defended the proposed bell schedules changes as a way that will save money that can be put to better use in the classroom. But he also acknowledged parental concerns, pointing to the online survey that has generated 1,100 comments so far.

Tata also said today that, based on parental feedback, he'll talk with school board chairman Kevin Hill about taking another look at the deal to lease an office building to serve as a new Panther Creek High School ninth-grade center.

The board opted not to stick modular units on the site of a future middle school next to Alston Ridge Elementary School. While the office building at 3700 Pleasant Church Grove Road in Morrisville is further away from the high school, it can be ready for the 2012-13 school year.

UPDATE

Click here for the online story.

The Wake County school system's new online survey on the bell schedule proposal is now live

Click here to take the survey. The survey runs through 10 p.m. on Feb. 16.

Comments will be provided to school board members before they discuss the proposal again on Feb. 21.

It might not produce any changes in the proposed bell schedules for Wake County schools this fall, but look for a discussion Feb. 21 on the impact of school start times on high school students.

School board member John Tedesco wants staff to talk about the sleep study research that indicates it's better to have later start times for older students.

Also look for a discussion on traffic concerns raised by school board member Jim Martin that later start times for high school students could be dangerous.

Can the Wake County school system sell the public on the merits of the bell schedule changes for this fall?

As noted in today's article, school staff said the proposal would help Wake avoid $10 million in costs and revenue losses this fall. But school board members said it would take community outreach to explain it to parents why they're being asked to make changes of more than an hour in some cases.

"If we don't (do community outreach), we’re going to get thousands of calls and emails about this," said school board member John Tedesco.

UPDATE

Click here for the handout from the board meeting. It lists the proposed bell schedules.

Wake has fixed some errors with the individual school times from yesterday's handout. I've replaced the link with the new one. Wake made more corrections Thursday.

Could the Wake County school board decide after all to implement for this fall seat set-asides at the high-performing schools or lift the priority for students from low-performing nodes?

Both topics are part of the student assignment update that will be presented at the work session. Topics, according to the handout, include assignment priorities for displaced magnet students and the number of AG students accepted into sixth-grade at Ligon and Carnage middle schools.  

Also on the agenda, is a staff presentation to change the bell schedules for nearly all of the schools this fall.

UPDATE

The school board ran out of time to discuss the student assignment update.

Click here for the online story about the bell schedule proposal.