The school board has got a really busy agenda today.
We're not just talking about allowing students to share parking spaces or deciding on the fate of the "Lost Colony."
Today's agenda also includes more discussions on filling magnet and calendar schools, class-size waivers and spending bond money.
First off, the board will provide some feedback on whether to reverse some decisions that staff has made on filling the magnet and calendar schools.
Last week's post noted how some openings weren't filled because it would harm the health of the base schools losing students. While board members at last week's facilities committee meeting seemed to be in support, the full board will weigh in today.
You also see a new request today for waivers for five classes in five elementary schools. This comes on top of the string of waiver requests made throughout the school year.
One of the last votes today will be on amending the distribution of bond money. At the urging of the board, staff has come up with a scenario that would minimize delays to renovations at Wilburn Elementary School.
The original plan had Wilburn's $20.9 million renovation project being completed by July 2010. But due to the funding woes, completion had been shoved back to January 2013.
Board members had argued that Wilburn's project shouldn't be delayed so much considering the age of the school, which was built in 1962, and its high percentage of low-income students.
Under the new scenario, Wilburn's renovations would now be done by January 2012. The delay would be cut by a year by holding off on some land purchases for new schools and holding off on life cycle work at other schools.
With the county not projecting another school construction bond issue until 2012, this is one of the few options left to speed up Wilburn's project.
Comments
Well.. you could trade the
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 02:29 — makemineWell.. you could trade the money
forex trading money
Why doesn't WCPSS offer YR daycare
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 10:35 — user1234It is interesting that YR comes down to a financial decision and the need for continuous year round daycare for kids. Full summer daycare costs less than multiple three week daycare sessions and there are more and cheaper summer offerings (grandparents, bible school, summer camps, etc.).. So, if WCPSS could provide affordable daycare YR it might make YR more acceptable and convenient? I wonder if WCPSS could take the kids year round with no breaks where during some periods kids would be in school learning paid for by taxpayers and other times kids would be in “camp” paid for by parents. Parents could opt out of the camps for vacations. That way parents would never have to fool with their kids and could leave them at school all the time year round with WCPSS. Maybe WCPSS could make a little profit on the camps to offset the cost.
welcome to the real world
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 10:46 — loriacYes, a summer vacation is fairly ingrained in our society. Not for everyone, and that's why VYR is a good idea, but MYR is not.
There are real financial implications for people who are FORCED into YR schools.
Parents Hoping For More School Resource Officers
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 16:55 — AngelaWhttp://wake.mync.com/site/wake/news/story/32544/parents-hoping-for-more-school-resource-officers
Wait till next year
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 11:49 — gunfamwith all the collapsing of tracks (due to teacher cuts) the class sizes will skyrocket. So now I'm in MYR AND overcrowded classrooms - just great.
right there with you... but
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 18:07 — rr77rr99right there with you... but you forgot.... MYR, oversized classrooms in trailers.
Can Rosa add an abrupt halt
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 11:10 — Big_PictureCan Rosa add an abrupt halt to the wasteful LRMS MYR debacle to today's agenda?
The headcount of supporters for continuing with that conversion is down to 10. 5 BoE members with their heads in the sand and the 5 clueless *Bigger Picture* gaggle. Going down fast. The latest Leesville report says Lisa B has kindly agreed to replace a Bigger Picture founder on LES' PTA board for next year. Looks like this certain *little picture* founder professing to be focused on the big picture is not even committed enough to be a PTA member at LES. Doesn't get more hypocritical than that. Priceless indeed. Go Lisa.
hmmm, while it would
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 17:28 — AngelaWhmmm, while it would *appear* that you have insider information, if were you actually AT the PTA meeting you would have ALL the facts.
PTA General Membership meeting minutes are posted on the school's website once they are approved, (at the next general meeting)....that's where ALL can find facts, if they are interested.
Please don't try to drag the LES PTA into anything, we have strived long and hard to remain neutral in the face of all kinds of adversity and do our "job" for the welfare of ALL children at our school, with no discrimination towards, sex, race, creed, religion OR calendar preference! :)
No I was not at the LES
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 21:46 — Big_PictureNo I was not at the LES meeting last week but I do have confidence in my sources; 2 unrelated people gave almost identical accounts Saturday and Sunday.
No attempt to drag your PTA down Angela W. Your current PTA has an unblemished reputation. Just amused by the hypocracy of an individual claiming big picture focus being caught with no commitment to her school PTA. Watch out for that type of person. They tend to pull out all stops to weasel their way through life. Be glad you have Lisa B and Angela W on your board, that's all.
The Situation Has Evolved
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 10:34 — Lisa_BHey Big Picture:
I have to say, you do have some pretty well informed "sources". Being a tight knit community, news does travel fast, but I had only volunteered to take the open spot on Friday...WOW.
Long story short, about 2 weeks ago I let the nominating committee know that I would be happy to take a board spot IF there were any openings. If someone WANTED the spot, I was not interested in being involved with any kind of "competition" for a PTA board position. Well, at that time the slate was full, and we had exactly enough people willing to serve as we had spots on the board.
Friday I was told that there had been some recent changes, as it was determined that 2 people on the slate were not PTA members. SO, that left 2 open positions. Because there were 2 openings, no one else was interested, and the slate had to be announced Monday, I said I would be happy to serve as the VP of Communications. I do all I can to stay connected to what is going on in our community, and I have very good relationships with our Principals, so as long as I'm already staying on top of things for my own personal knowledge I may as well "communicate" this information to our families. It seemed like a good fit.
Without going into details there was a lot of behind-the-scenes" scrambling" going on Monday. There was some kind of loophole, and these 2 people were able to join the PTA after the fact. And, the slate does not need to be announced and voted on until May. SO, since we had someone who REALLY wanted to serve on the PTA Board, I gladly chose to step aside. Your "sources" were correct over the weekend, but as of Monday evening, things HAVE changed and I am NOT going to be taking a spot on the PTA Board although I will continue to do all I can to support the PTA and our wonderful teachers.
As Angela said, our current PTA Board has worked VERY hard to remain neutral in the face of a lot of unnecessary "drama"---and they have done an AWESOME job. I have complete confidence that our new PTA President and most of the others will be able to continue with the precedent that has been set. The bylaws in place AND the nature of how the PTA Board is expected to operate will hopefully prevent those with an "agenda" from being able to using our PTA as their vehicle. We experienced an unfortunate situation with some of them on our "Growth Committee", but I don't think that particular group will be able to dissolve the PTA Board just because things don't go "their way"----so NO WORRIES.
We in the Leesville community will continue to keep fighting as hard as ever to KEEP LEESVILLE FAMILIES TOGETHER---as I keep telling people, if ANYONE has a problem with what we are doing, they probably need to evalulate their own priorities. Our group has grown by another 100+ people during the past few weeks, so the community definitely believes "FAMILIES FIRST".
We will also remain focused on doing what we can to bring in a more responsive School Board. Until we have true Calendar Continuity on our campus, a supportive School Board Representative, and honest and transparent decisions made by our School Board, we will keep exposing the unnecessary waste and unjustified destruction that WCPSS is forcing on us.
Appreciate the clarification
Mon, 04/27/2009 - 09:49 — Big_PictureAppreciate the clarification and effort to remain poised while faced with insanity. Keep it up. Your efforts are more wide spread and and appreciated than you will ever know.
I would HIGHLY suggest that
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 09:44 — AngelaWI would HIGHLY suggest that many many emails, letters etc be sent regarding these class size waivers. I was told last year, when I contacted DPR regarding the massive amounts of waivers that Wake was "already on the radar" because of how many were being requested. as you know last year Chairman Lee (now gone from DPI) denied waivers and demanded Wake "fix" their issues....as with MANY items related to WCPSS I have seen NO follow-up to what happened there.....but in light of the fact that they are requesting again AND for MYR schools, that facts about under-enrolled MYR schools and over-crowded Traditional schools be sent many many many times....it seemed to work last time and Bev Perdue DOESN'T want larger classes (like her or lump her, she doesn't want them, period.) This is whom I talked with last year; Alexis Schauss Assistant Director Division of School Business NCDPI ASchauss@dpi.state.nc.us
WCPSS did fix the
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 18:09 — rr77rr99WCPSS did fix the situation... they cited volunteers as "assistants" in the classrooms and pull out kids were not counted for the hour or two they were not in the room....
I am guessing here that all
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 09:06 — rr77rr99I am guessing here that all the parents who were so "on board" with MYR were "on board" as long as they could have tracks 1 or 4 to stay as close to traditional as possible. Hence, the need for waivers.
See what happens when parents dig their heads out of the sand? Always a day late, dollar short it seems, but duh... MYR wasn't all you thought it was cracked up to me now was it?
With parents losing their incomes now, many can't afford the track out camps and day care. Lots of kids left home alone these days.
The sand is dripping out of their ears!
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 13:04 — g88ky07Good point. How many at MYR schools have been, are being or will be forced to a different track for next year??? And of those how many think MYR is the "stuff" now??? How many want to be at the mercy of your principal, or the system, for the next many years as to whether or not you change tracks again the following year? And the year after that! MYR is as unstable as being in the reassignment pinwheel, your track can change every year for the rest of your years of being forced into this failed experiment!
Wake will get all the waivers it wants, most likely. Bev can say she doesn't want larger classes, but in the end she'll give in or be ignored.
This system is caving in more every day now, so it won't be long before we are all brushing the debris off as we attempt to crawl out of the rubble! That is, until change finally comes to Wake County this fall!
As for Bond 2012, HA, don't count on it. It's a long way off, but they'll come crying before then, betcha! Even if they do wait until 2012 they better not plan on buying any land or painting new walls with that money.
It's money they'll never see!
Don't understand the argument
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 09:58 — CaryMomof4"With parents losing their incomes now, many can't afford the track out camps and day care. Lots of kids left home alone these days."
I have always had a lot of trouble with that argument against year round school (MYR or VYR). Whether I pay for child care for 12 weeks over the summer or 3 weeks every quarter, I still have to pay for 12 weeks of care for my child a year (or leave her home alone for 12 weeks if I can't). It's easier for me to spread it out over the entire year than pay for it all at once.
And if I lost my job, she would be staying home with me until I got a new one, not going to track-out camp or day care.
Maybe this will help clarify...
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 14:18 — nktrailTrack out camp is MUCH more expensive than traditional summer care, hence the larger number of lower-income parents opting out of MYR at this time. In my area of the county, many lower income families use the Boys&Girls club for summer care at a cost of $25 per week/per child for a full day program as opposed to $200+/week for YMCA programs (and that's after you pay the fee to join the Y in the first place). Other track out options besides the Y are even more expensive - some as high as $350 per week--an entire paycheck for many low income families.
I am convinced that the high cost of track out care is the #1 reason lower income families are opting out of MYR and hoping to stay on the traditional calendar. I would love to see the WCPSS poll lower income families who have opted out to see WHY (like that will happen!).
This is exactly right.
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 18:15 — rr77rr99This is exactly right. The track out camps are very expensive. In addition,in the summer time, families had the option of maybe working it out that their kids could go stay with cousins or aunt and uncles who have kids on the summer break as well. Plenty of families do that as well, but lose that option when the out of state family members do not have their kids out at the same time.
Even the little "mini camps" and activities during track out are so cost prohibitive, we can't do them. MYR was never in the best interest of lower income families and it's just getting darn insulting to all parents that WCPSS continues to sell us all these lies.
There are plenty of parents who refuse to take off the rose colored glasses and stop sipping the Kool-Aid. They don't wake up until it directly affects them and by then, it's too late.
CaryMomof4
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 12:19 — RMC10Here's why! Because you have to sign up for 12 weeks - and pay for it over 50 weeks. It's like a freaking car payment every month for child care. Traditional school - I can send my child(ren) to visit relatives, go to a church camp, go to Bible School, take days off, leave on weekends, etc. and not be tied to paying for the 12-mo childcare, and have to pay that whether we use the YMCA or not.
I've posted here before that with MYR my childcare went from $270 Month (traditional) to $370 Month (MYR/after school /track out/SOS/workshop days. An increase of $1200 a year -that's pretty significant over a 6 year time period K-5, and to have that forced upon families by a School Board!
YR vs summer care
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 11:44 — FalcFrom what I encountered with YR, you have to buy the entire "track-out" block even if you will be on vacation during one of the weeks. With most summer camps, you buy by the week and only purchase the weeks you will use (some will even let you buy by the day). Maybe some YR programs have/will start allowing purchases by the week as there are probably more of the them now then we first started in YR?
I know a number of people who work for colleges and have reduced or no work hours in the summer, and therefore, do not need care during the summer but would on a YR schedule.
I've also been told the same thing someone posted about families (especially low-income) covering childcare by sending the kids to relatives out-of-town. The person who told me that information has worked with thousands of children because they work in the education field.
Very True
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 11:57 — gunfamTrack out camp is significantly more than summer camps, and you can't always buy by the week. Not to mention that if you are Track 2, there are even less options. Heck, with more schools eliminating Track 2, there will be even less!
I was told that al least
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:52 — NWRaleighMomI was told that al least some families used to send children to grandparents oversees or to another state. They obviously can't do it four times a year.
The quarterly track out
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:32 — SouthEastWakeMomThe quarterly track out camps tend to be more expensive than a 12 week summer program.
some families have older
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:16 — AngelaWsome families have older kids on Traditional calendar (high schools) that can watch kids over the summers, NOT for three weeks every nine weeks when Traditional schools are IN, this is a HUGE financial burden on families (like mine) who could be without incomes now and cannot get a job based on nine weeks of school and three weeks off....where do *I* put my six and 8 year old for three weeks that won't cost me an ENTIRE paycheck??
More waivers from YR schools
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 08:23 — Eric_BLooks like WCPSS is requesting even more waivers for YR schools. 4 out of 5 of the class size waivers are for YR schools. That brings the total to 82 out of 139 waivers (59%) from YR schools.
What good does the increased capacity of YR schools do if all the classrooms are overcrowded due to the difficulty of balancing tracks, etc.??
And, at the same time, look
Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:06 — CaryCurmudgeonAnd, at the same time, look at how many tracks those same MYR schools are closing down while other tracks are over-loaded. Dating myself here, but MYR enrollment and staffing have become a Rube Goldberg of the highest order.
Well, at least now, the
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 21:35 — rr77rr99Well, at least now, the teachers are really ticked off. They are losing their jobs at some MYR schools, and at one MYR ... some teachers are being replaced by tenured teachers even though the school is to become OVER CROWDED by like 300 kids, while the surrounding MYR and YR schools are collapsing tracks! The tenure teachers can't be let go, but the newer teachers at the MYR school they hired on.. are now being let go. What a mess! Not to mention.. why are three YR schools under enrolled and ONE smashed full of kids. This, after parents were sold on the concept because there would be smaller class sizes and no need for trailers, but now they are bringing in MORE trailers?
I am also hearing a lot of grumbling about this Wed meeting thing. Several don't want to go to the meetings and feel it is wasting their time and taking time away from their classrooms. I would really like to know how come so many teachers didn't know about this when Jennifer Lanine said they did, and they wanted it.
Will we ever get the truth .... ever?
Not with this board!
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 22:16 — momof2goodboysNot with this board!