The future of the Wake County school system apparently hangs on the votes of the few thousand people who will likely show up on Nov. 3 for the District 2 runoff election.
As noted in today's article, it's a welcome situation for District 2 residents who've long felt that they've been overlooked and ignored by the school board. The residents of the district, largely concentrated in Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Willow Spring, will pick the ninth school board member who will break a 4-4 split on the board.
The impact of the runoff would be lessened if Cathy Truitt announces Monday that she's dropping out of the race.
"I think people feel that Raleigh controls what goes on," said Debbie McHenry, a 2005 school board candidate, in the article. "People are tired of that: they feel like we are a part of the county as well. It should not be all what's good for Raleigh."
The election has given greater attention to Garner's concerns about how the diversity policy has resulted in the town's schools having too high a percentage of low-income students from Southeast Raleigh.
Whether the looming return of community schools/neighborhood schools to Garner is a good thing or a bad thing depends on who you ask.
School board member Horace Tart, who finished in third on Election Day, said a number of district residents have told him they like things the way they are now.
“When people talk about neighborhood schools, I’ve heard other people say, ‘I don’t want to leave the schools where I’m established. I don’t want the school in my neighborhood’” Tart said. “The view that everybody wants to go to their neighborhood school isn’t the correct view.”
But school board member Ron Margiotta said neighborhood schools are just what District 2 parents want.
"I think that the people in Garner would prefer to go to schools in their community and not in magnet schools in Raleigh, or to charter schools or private schools," Margiotta said.
Comments
Holdzcom to discuss SAS/EVASS report at 10/20 Board meeting
Sun, 10/18/2009 - 13:39 — btwalshWAKE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
1:00 pm Committee of the Whole (open to the public)
3:00pm Board Session (open to the public, public comment at 4pm)
Agenda (Informational Section)
6. EXPLANATION OF WCPSS EFFECTIVENESS INDEX/EVAAS
This presentation will provide the Board with information related to the fundamental similarities, differences, and applications between the WCPSS Effectiveness Index and the SAS EVAAS system.
9. PUBLIC COMMENT – 4 P.M.
Citizens who signed up to address the board during public comment will be called on in priority order first for items on the agenda and then for items not on the agenda. Each individual speaker will be allowed three minutes for remarks. Issues or concerns involving personnel matters are not appropriate for this public comment setting. After 30 minutes of public comment, any speakers remaining will be recognized at the end of the agenda for their comments.
Get ready for the spin. He
Mon, 10/19/2009 - 07:19 — changewcpssGet ready for the spin. He needs to tread lightly. He already attempted to ineffectively downplay the EVAAS report. Burn your bridges with SAS and WCPSS will show ignorance beyond belief.
District 2 citizens have
Sun, 10/18/2009 - 11:18 — CaryCurmudgeonDistrict 2 citizens have indeed been ignored by the current school board, and John Tedesco will give them the voice they deserve. In fairness, other districts have been abused to varying degrees as well. District 1 has too many failing schools. District 7 suffered the wrath of Patti Head as she converted Leesville and pitted parent groups against each other. And we all know what Lori Millberg thinks of parents in Cary. I do not agree with Eleanor Goettee's policies, but I recognize that she always conducted herself in a dignified manner and treated constituents with respect. Wish I could say the same for some of the others.