Going to school in your town

"Which is it?  Is WCPSS really more efficient as the largest school district in the state and can do more with less or does its size not translate into economies of scale? "

Maybe they are so efficient because they get so little money compared to other systems.  I think what is telling is in relative terms how much less the entire community values schools with their contributions in Wake.   It appears that other communities are willing to invest a higher % than Wake.  I remember a previous entry talking about how great Fairfax, VA schools were only to find out they invest twice what we do as a community.   I think we should be studying why 16 communities in NC value their schools more than we do.

to give this school board, or any school board, taxing authority, YOU have completely lost your mind.
I can't see the majority of Wake County even beginning to agree with that position. Whether bonds come off the table or not, the day THAT comes to pass, you'll have a few less living here.
And I'll be one of them!

Why would ANYONE agree to pay 3 times the taxes you pay now??? That's where they'd have it in a matter of hours after being granted that power and DO NOT kid yourself!

ABSOLUTELY NO WAY should they EVER have that power! NEVER!

If you want a bigger badder self taxing WCPSS, I noticed it is be supported by the Cary Town Council in their last meeting. See item 5 below.

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2. Operations Committee, January 8, 2008 (any item pulled from the committee consent agenda for discussion [agenda item B.3.] will be discussed during this portion of the agenda) (Mr. Smith) a. NC Legislative Agenda (AD09-005) Committee unanimously acknowledged the summary of action on Cary’s 2008 state legislative agenda and recommended adoption of the items proposed by staff and the State Legislative Agenda Council Committee for inclusion in the Town’s 2009 NC Legislative Agenda, with the exception of Item #8, which has already been adopted by the General Assembly. (Approved the following items: (1) Add Cary to S.L. 2004-98 which provides local authority to the Cities of Winston-Salem and Reidsville to order dwellings determined unfit for human habitation repaired or demolished after a period of six months (2) Add Town of Cary to G.S. 160A-200 to authorize an annual notice to chronic violators of overgrown vegetation ordinances. (3) Support implementation of the Jordan Lake Rules. (4) Establish an electoral process for the Wake County Board of Education that provides at-large representation. (5) Provide taxing authority for the Wake County School Board and relieve Wake County of the responsibility of providing funding to the Wake County Public School System. (6) Support funding for Land for Tomorrow and the NC Adopt a Trail grant program. (7) Support state-wide legislation that makes using a fake gun in the commission of a crime a felony. (8) Support advocacy agenda of the NC League of Municipalities. (9) Monitor General Assembly for action related to issues that could impact Cary including, but not limited to water and wastewater issues (interbasin transfer, wastewater pretreatment, reclaimed water, water allocation and supply), collective bargaining, annexation, and municipal funding sources.)

2. Consideration of a request sponsored by Mrs. Adcock and co-sponsored by Mr. Frantz requesting that council revisit the timeline for the Wake County Public School System to initiate required road improvements at Panther Creek High School. (Refer to the November 20, 2008 Town Council meeting minutes for prior discussion/decision on this item.) Council may take one of the following three actions: (i) Discuss the issue and take action at the meeting if no information is required from staff and if council does not seek public input, or; (ii) Refer the request to the appropriate committee or council meeting, at which time a staff report with staff recommendation will be prepared, or; (iii) Decide not to pursue the council initiated request. (Will ask the school board to come up with an agreement to allow road improvements to begin in 3 years and be completed in 4 years)

To address some of the controversy on here about what should be done with "newbies" to the area...

I moved here five years ago. Before relocating, I did extensive research on the school system and made four trips to check out the area, look at homes, etc.

On my third trip, I found a house I fell in love with. It was in Apex and the assigned school was Baucom Elementary. Thanks to my fantastic realtor, she advised I speak with the school before making an offer on the house.

Thank goodness I did, because when I contacted the school I was told that it was "capped." There was simply no more room and thus my children would be bused to downtown Raleigh for school! It would be about an hour and twenty minute ride each way. I said "no thanks" and did not buy the house.

Instead, I researched what was then Wake County's Ten Year Building Plan. My kids were young, so my goal was to find a community that at least WILL BE building enough schools so that by the time my kids would need them, they'd be there.

I chose Holly Springs.
When we moved to HS five years ago, there was one elementary school. There are now 3 elementary schools, one middle (and another middle opening next year), and a high school.

My children were reassigned from one elementary to another two years ago when the new building opened. No problem. We understood... the new school they just built obviously needed to be filled.
However, it is now only 2 years later and my children are being reassigned AGAIN to Herbert Akins in Fuquay-Varina. NOT because there is no room in the three elementary schools in Holly Springs. But because WCPSS wants to provide diversity in the new school.

While I am not against diversity, I don't think the same children should be targeted over and over to deal with the overcrowding and diversity issues.

I specifically purchased in Holly Springs in a cognizant, responsible way, keeping the rapid growth and my children's educations on top of mind.

Further, even if we were willing to switch back to traditional just so we could stay in our community, that option has been taken away too... instead of Holly Ridge down the street, my child would still be sent to Lincoln Heights in Fuquay for "diversity reasons."

I pay Holly Springs taxes, I own a Holly Springs business, I volunteer in Holly Springs events, and I write for the Holly Springs newspaper. I live walking distance from the "center of Holly Springs" (town hall). To expect my children to be subject to another reassignment so soon simply to benefit someone else's children is simply not the right thing to do.

So, newbie or not, there is plenty facing all of us. I believe we need to work together as a community to make things work, but not at the expense of the same families over and over again. 

Making the 'newbies' go wherever there is a seat is just ridiculous. Like somebody else said--how do you define 'newbie'? I know people up here in far north Raleigh who used to live in Oakwood, Mordecai & Five Points but when their families outgrew their 1500 sq ft homes they couldn't afford to buy anything larger down there. So they moved out to the 'boonies' where they could afford a larger home. They contributed for years to the older ITB neighborhoods but they are now 'newbies' because they live in Falls River or Bedford?

What about all of the new construction and renovations that are going on ITB? Do those people deserve a seat in a 'local'
school or should they be forced to go out to Sycamore Creek because there is room there?

I see no need to 'punish' newcomers who move here. "If you build it, they will come". Unless realtors and WCPSS would be willing to honestly tell people "because you're new, you're going to go to school 16 miles away". I don't see that EVER happening. Business leaders in Wake County are too invested in having all of this growth to ever let that happen.