Is creating an Office of Diversity and Equity something that the Wake County school system should look at exploring?

As noted in today's article, the school board told staff on Tuesday to revise the budget proposal to come up with up to $200,000 to create this new office. Board members say this office, along with the revisions in the student assignment policy to minimize concentrations of low-income and low-performing students at schools and the new equity policy will help promote equity for students.

School board chairman Keith Sutton has been the big backer of creating this new office, which is modeled on one in the Guilford County school system. It's because of Sutton that staff developed a business case for creating the new office even though it wasn't part of the original budget request.

More to come later, but it looks like that diversity is officially back for the Wake County school system as an official goal in student assignment and other areas.

The board told staff today to amend the budget to create an office of diversity and equity to promote diversity and ensure students have equal access to resources. Board members say they want to promote diversity more than just through assignment.

The board is moving toward a May 7 first reading of a revised assignment policy that calls for minimizing high concentrations of low-income students and low-performing students at schools.

The new policy says there will be target ranges. But instead of being in policy, they'd be set by staff when each new assignment plan is developed.

The Wake County school board will deal with a variety of items today, including the school board election bill, student assignment, the budget and the projects that would be funded by the next bond issue.

During the regular meeting, the school board will vote on a resolution supporting the current boundaries that were adopted in 2011. This is in response to Senate Bill 325, which passed the state Senate on Monday.

During the work session, the board will continue discussion on the revisions that will be made to the student assignment policy. The latest draft talks about "minimizing the concentrations of low-performing students at each school" and "minimizing high concentrations of students from low income families at each school."

Should North Carolina's public school systems lose the ability to sue county commissioners for more funding?

As noted in today's article, Senate Bill 674 would change state law so that school boards could no longer sue their county commissioners for more funding for the operating budget or over getting more money to purchase land.

Under state law, school boards who are involved in funding disputes can seek mediation. If that fails, school boards can file a lawsuit in Superior Court.

The lobbying and negotiating over what projects to include in the next Wake County school construction bond referendum is already in progress.

As noted in today's article, the scenarios presented Wednesday range from $609 million to $2.3 billion. It's understood that the $2.3 billion, which lays out all the district's needs, isn't going to happen.

The question is which projects to still fund in a reduced bond amount.

It looks saving teacher assistant positions will be the major crusade by school leaders in Wake County and the rest of this state during this budget season.

As noted in today's article, school board members and administrators said Tuesday that Wake's loss of $12 million in funding for teacher assistants in Gov. Pat McCrory's budget would be "very detrimental." McCrory's budget would cut all $117 million in funding for TAs in grades 2 and 3, only funding them for K-1.

McCroy has touted how his budget would add 1,800 teaching positions. But Chief Business Officer David Neter said those positions are just to keep up with growth so they can't convert the positions to pay for TA positions.

Here's a quick recap of today's Wake County school board work session.

School board members and administrators are concerned that Gov. Pat McCrory's budget proposal would cut about $12 million for teacher assistant positions in Wake. That would cost 400 positions so Wake will lobby for the funding to be included in the final state budget.

McCrory's budget would eliminate TA funding in second- and third-grades.

The Wake County school board will have a wide range of items to deal with today, including budget, school capping, school calendars, school name changes and school board election districts.

During the work session, one topic is "Wake County Board of Education's Support of the Current Election Districts for Board Positions." Presumably the board will be asked to officially oppose Senate Bill 325, which would change the election districts.

The board will continue to discuss the budget and go over instructional calendars, presumably for the 2014-15 school year.

In what's become a perennial issue on school bond issues, Wake County commissioners have questions about why school renovation projects cost so much money.

During last week's joint meeting, Joe Bryan, chairman of the board of commissioners, asked why this school district needs list. includes an $82.4 million renovation for Fuquay-Varina High School. He also asked why they're proposing more renovations for Cary High School at $37.6 million and at Enloe High School for $30.9 million.

Bryan noted that the proposed cost for Fuquay-Varina's renovation is more than the cost for building Rolesville High and the new West Apex High.

UPDATE

I've corrected the link in the post to view the presentation from school staff on the district's facility needs.

It's safe to say that you're not going to see a $2.2 billion Wake County school construction bond referendum on the fall ballot.

School administrators laid out today their construction needs through 2018, which would mean $2.2 billion with most going toward building 32 new schools and 28 major renovation projects. According to the county, that's the equivalent of a 14.68 cent property tax increase, or about $375 more a your on a $250,000 home.

Everybody from school staff to school board members to county commissioners was quick to say that they're not planning on that big a bond.