Last month, two dozen high school students questioned how Wake could violate its own policy which says parking fees are only supposed to pay for school security of parking lots.

The school board's response today was to agree to change the policy. They'll strip out the wording limiting how the money can be used.

Click here for the online story.

Is it time to scrap the traditional teacher salary schedule used in North Carolina and across the nation?

As noted in today's article, Duke University economist Jacob Vigdor argues that the current system of linking higher salaries with experience and advanced credentials is flawed. Vigdor says advanced degrees are “valueless” and that after a certain point experience doesn’t have much impact on student achievement.

In a study in the fall issue of Education Next, published by the Hoover Institution, Vigdor says a new system is needed in which new teachers are paid more and older ones get less money.

Today's school board agenda is action packed.

It's not just the closed-door evaluation of Superintendent Del Burns' job performance or the committee of the whole talk about the 10th-day year-round enrollment totals.

You've also got presentations on test scores and the multi-year student assignment process and a request to dip into the rainy-day fund to bail out year-round schools. You'll also have a discussion on the proposed hunter education policy and a possible student protest over the $50 hike in parking fees.

The school board will be busy behind closed doors on Tuesday wrapping up Superintendent Del Burns' annual evaluation.

Under his contract, Burns gets an automatic 3-percent raise every year. But if the board doesn't complete his annual evaluation by Aug. 31, he's entitled to an additional increase that would be equal, this year, to 3 percent.

Rosa Gill, chairwoman of the school board, expects the board to decide what new offer to make to Burns on Tuesday. If he agrees, the new terms will be announced at a future board meeting.

At least one school district is stepping up to the plate because the state isn't fully funding teacher bonuses this year.

The Fayetteville Observer is reporting today that the Cumberland County school board voted to dip into its fund balance to make up the estimated $1.4 million difference between what lawmakers appropriated and what successful local teachers were promised.

“I think our teachers exceeded their end of the bargain,” said Cumberland County school board member Greg West in the article. “And the state didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. I think we need to do the right thing.”

Wake could have a windfall or a problem on its hands.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. has ruled that the state must turn over $747.9 million in illegally withheld civil fines to the state's 115 school districts. Wake's share would be around $70 million, which Manning says must be used for technology.

Here's the potential problem. Considering the tough economy, it's hard imagining the General Assembly will suddenly find the money. What could happen, school officials fear, is that the General Assembly will "supplant" the money, taking away $747.9 million in education funding to comply with Manning.

Click here to read the court order.

UPDATE

Click here for today's article. The ruling is look more like a pyrrhic victory for the schools. 

Critics of the rise in high school student parking fees aren't gaining much traction.

In an effort to balance the budget this year, the school board raised parking fees to $170 a year, a $50 increase. Critics aren't having the same level of success as in 2005 when they got the board to reverse the decision to raise the fees to $240 a year.

Last week, school board member Horace Tart tried to make a pitch for his constituents at Fuquay-Varina High School.

The bad news is now official on teacher bonuses under the state ABCs program.

There's an across-the-board 30 percent cut in bonus payments this year.

 At schools that meet expected growth, teachers will get $527 instead of $750. Teacher assistants will get $263 instead of $375.

At schools that exceed expectations to make high growth, teachers will get $1,053 instead of $1,500. Teacher assistants will get $351 instead of $500.

The problem this year is that the General Assembly capped the State Board of Education to spending $94.3 million in bonuses. DPI says they would have needed $134.2 million to fully fund the program to provide the usual maximum bonuses. 

It got a bit heated yesterday when school board members questioned why some year-round schools are losing teaching positions this school year.

In particular, Ron Margiotta and Horace Tart wanted to know why Baucom Elementary School lost a popular teacher when declining enrollment caused a track to be collapsed. Baucom is one of several year-round schools that will lose teachers because their enrollment is turning out to be lower than planned.

"This shows a complete lack of respect for parents at mandatory year-round schools," Margiotta said of the Baucom situation.

One effort to cut money from the budget isn't working out totally as planned.

The school board will vote today on a request by staff to pay $300.000 in signing bonuses for teachers in hard-to-fill areas. The board had voted July 15 to eliminate the $427,000 program as part of an effort to plug a $36.2 million funding shortfall from county commissioners.

The problem, administrators say, is that some 300 new teachers had signed contracts before July 15 expecting to get the one-time $1,000 signing bonuses.

David Neter, Wake's chief business officer, said they'd pay for the bonuses out of the fund balance. He said it's an appropriate use of the rainy-day fund because it's a one-time expense.

UPDATE

Click here for the online story. The board voted 7-1 to pay the bonuses. Ron Margiotta, the lone dissenter, argued they should restore all $427,000.