The word inconsistent was said more than a few times Thursday by members of the Wake County school system's new school safety task force after getting an overview of the current security practices.

As noted in today's article, task force members were surprised to hear about the lack of a uniform standard of security measures at the 169 schools. For instance, the majority of schools don't have a security officer or computer system for managing visitors and a large minority have few or no surveillance cameras and outdated locking systems.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, co-chair of the task force. “We’ve got a lot of inconsistencies.”

The issue of Wake County school security will continue to be on the agenda as the district's task force on school safety holds its first meeting this afternoon.

The group, chaired by Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison and retired Raleigh Police Capt. Al White, is supposed to review Wake school safety policies to come up with recommended changes. The meeting, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Crossroad II, 110 Corning Road in Cary, is open to the public.

Security was also an issue for Wake County school board members during Wednesday's facilities committee meeting.

More to come later, but the security topic that got the most discussion at today's Wake County school board facilities committee meeting was the practicality of setting up a buzzer system at all elementary schools.

Staff assured the board that there would be people in the front office to promptly answer when visitors buzz to try to get into what would now become the locked front doors of elementary schools. Staff also told the board that the office personnel would be trained in who to let inside.

There was also some discussion about having a networked visitor sign-in system at all 169 schools. Only 27 schools have the LobbyGuard system with other schools having a free system that staff said doesn't meet security needs.

UPDATE

Click here for the story from the committee meeting..

Would you be more willing to approve a Wake County school bond issue it it included $18.1 million in funding for security upgrades at schools?

As noted in today's article, school facilities staff will present to the school board's facilities committee today a proposal for between $7.1 million and $18.1 million in security measures. It's part of a presentation on items that could be included in the next capital improvement program.

The proposal would fund things such as more surveillance cameras, an electronic door locking system, a centralized electronic visitor sign-in system, an entrance buzzer system for all elementary schools and a centralized public address system.

Anticipation is growing on when legislation will be introduced in the General Assembly to turn over school ownership to county commissioners and to change the way the Wake County school board is elected.

Both pending bills hung over Thursday's joint meeting of the Wake County school board and county commissioners. Joe Bryan, chairman of the commissioners, said the school ownership fight has now become a statewide issue with several other counties also interested in using the legislation.

“This decision will be decided hopefully within the next month or two at the legislature," Bryan said. "They will make the decision whether this model is better than what exists today.”

It's not an understatement to say that today's joint meeting of the Wake County school board and Wake County Commissioners got heated.

School board members accused commissioners of slapping them in the face and putting a school bond issue in danger by asking for changes in state law in who owns schools and how the school board is elected. Commissioners countered that the board’s actions have already cost the public’s trust and that unless the changes are passed that a badly needed bond won’t pass this fall.

“It’s a sad day when we’ve gotten to the point where we seem to enjoy not working with each other,” said Commissioner James West, a Democrat.

Also during the meeting, four of the school board member across party lines indicated that it might be better to wait until 2014 to have a bond. They cited issues such as the short time frame to get the details done, the challenge of getting public support and the acrimony with the commissioners.

UPDATE

Click here for the article on the joint meeting.

It should be interesting today watching what happens when Wake County school board members and Wake County commissioners meet for the first time since they began warring against each other in the state legislature.

The official purpose of the meeting is to continue work on developing the next school construction bond referendum so that it can be placed on the October ballot.

According to the agenda, the meeting objectives are "understanding the overall process and timetable," "understanding the scope of needs for new schools and renovations" and "understanding the variables and assumptions used to determine the number of new schools."

UPDATE

Both boards have agreed to add to the end of today's meeting agenda a discussion about the school ownership proposal and other issues between the two boards.

Will the Wake County school board's decision Tuesday to back a statewide resolution opposing transferring school ownership to county commissioners be a good or bad thing?

As noted in today's article, Republican school board members tried to talk their colleagues out of voting on the resolution Tuesday. But members of the Democratic board majority insisted they needed to respond to what's now become a statewide issue since the Wake County Board of Commissioners made the request.

“This is not the best way to deal with these situations," said Democratic board member Jim Martin. "But we’re not in the best situation. This is an issue that should have been discussed between our two boards. It shouldn’t be going to the legislature.”

Members of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and other supporters of the Democratic school board majority turned their attention Monday on the Republican majority on the Wake County Board of Commissioners.

During the public comment section, several speakers criticized the commissioners for asking for state legislation to take over ownership of schools, to be able to give money to help build charter schools and to change the way school board members are elected. It also came with a warning.

"I hope that the Wake County Commissioners don't want to radicalize lots of middle-class parents," said Robert Siegel. "But if you do start messing with our schools, we're going to respond the same way we responded to the extremist school board of 2009. I don't think you want Wake County to become a national disgrace again."

A swearing-in ceremony, the jumpstarting of a new middle school in northwest Raleigh and more criticism of the Wake County Commissioners is likely in store at today's Wake County school board meeting.

The school board will vote on approving the N.C. School Boards Association's 2013-14 legislative agenda and on approving the NCSBA resolution opposing allowing counties to take over ownership of school facilities.

During the discussion at the work session and the vote in the regular meeting, you'll probably hear more complaints about the Wake commissioners having requested the state legislative changes.

UPDATE

Click here to view the NCSBA 2013-14 legislative agenda.

Click here to view the NCSBA resolution opposing transfer of school ownership to county governments.