The procession of unhappy Wake County parents continued at Wednesday night's student assignment public hearing.
As noted in today's article by Colin Campbell, the meeting's location at Rolesville Middle School meant that several northern Wake parents objected to being assigned to the new schools. At the prior two hearings held in other parts of the county, only one of those affected parents spoke out.
For instance, Pamela Page of Wake Forest objected to sending her children to the modular campus being used by Richland Creek Elementary. She wants her children to stay at Jones Dairy Elementary.
“This is a modular campus consisting solely of trailers,” Page said. “There is no need to reassign students from an under-enrolled school to a temporary school on a traditional calendar.”
Jeff Ramsey lives in Northeast Raleigh’s Winchester subdivision, which has been reassigned to Rolesville High.
“Rolesville High School is over nine miles away and Millbrook High is just over four miles away,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to me. Millbrook isn’t even one of our magnet choices.”
Rolesville High is getting a base because it's opening for the first time in August 2013.
Rolesville Middle and Richland Creek Elementary are getting bases because they opened under the choice plan. The choice plan left Richland Creek sharply underenrolled with around 100 students on the 20th day.
The board got at least some positive feedback Wednesday night. Gretchen Britt thanked the board for the decision Tuesday to reassign node 258 from Wakelon Elementary to Rolesville Elementary.
One of Britt's neighbors at last week's hearing said it didn't make sense for the neighborhood, which is just outside of Rolesville, to continue to be assigned to a school in Zebulon.
“It’s about keeping communities together – I cannot thank you enough for doing that,” Britt said.
Several neighborhoods between Wake Forest and Rolesville, including Stonegate, St. Andrews and Whippoorwill Valley, got their wish Tuesday to stay at Heritage High instead of moving to Rolesville High. But some parents on Wednesday asked the board to go further, assigning those neighborhoods to Heritage elementary and middle schools as well.
“Our kids are currently at Heritage Middle School and would like to stay there,” said Mike Valchar.
Those subdivisions in question are assigned to different elementary and middle schools and are still slated to be reassigned to Rolesville Middle while keeping their current elementary assignments.
Comments
Problems...
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 04:34 — KevPerdueI wonder if this new board is going to be so quick to fix all the problems they are creating with this new plan like they were so quick to want to fix all the issues with the choice plan? Many of the same complaints they heard with the choice model!
Could it be
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 20:04 — valsparCould it be that no matter what "plan" one goes with, the lack of seats where they are needed is the true problem?
Ah no...
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 23:05 — KevPerdueLook at the minutes. Many people at the meeting said that their current schools have plenty of room and they are being moved to fill the new school. Do we have a lack of seats in the county...sure, but that is not the problem with all the reassignments and feeder pattern changes these Clowns are making. They just have a new set of people complaining about the same issues another set complained about with the choice plan. The choice plan might have solved some of those issues down the road, but we will never know will we.
I'll wrestle you with that one, Kev
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 10:23 — valsparWhile the Choice Plan would have solved many seating issues, it was at the expense of the students getting their last choice at usually the farthest away school. Calendar choice was not an option in the Choice Plan either. The Choice Plan was great for the system, if everyone could have gotten their first or second closest choice. What happened in the end created the bus woes - students put in their 5th, 4th choice or a school far away from their homes, and the system having to provide transportation for that student, just to get them in an available seat.
It doesn't matter if students are individually put or grouply put in a distant school. If that's where the seats are, that's where the seats are. And, if a new school is opened, someone has to go, because as we both agree, there is a seat deficit. How those areas to attend those new schools are picked needs to be explained to the public and the board in great detail.
I agree with you however, that the feeder pattern changes (I figure you mean for year round) need more explanation. It seems the board is listening to parents, and reversing some of those staff recommendations.
My Understanding....
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 18:38 — JanisTangoThe Choice Plan was great for the system, if everyone could have gotten their first or second closest choice.
What I understand is the problem was with the way the algorithm was written. The program tried to place in kids in their first choice and those that didn't make the 'cut' were thrown into a pool with the remaining four choices. There was no 'weight' placed against choices beyond the 1st one. I would have liked to see them 'tweak' the process like they said they would to include a change to the algorithm. It would be been to place kids in their first choice and those that didn't make the first cut would have gone through a round for their second choice and so on. It might have had a better result.
In regards to the feeder pattern change it is more than just a year round problem. Many people uprooted their children last year to get into a school with a specific feeder pattern. A lot of parents do know where they want their children to go to middle and high school. If they want a change in the future at their child gets older the choice process would have given them an opportunity to change. I know they have said they would try to honor feeder patterns, but I don't know many parents that believes anything this board says. Parents want a guarantee. In order to do the right thing they should honor the school level feeder patterns for 3 years because that is how long the choice plan was originally suppose to be around. I know the majority didn't vote for the choice plan, but they should honor the promises made.
I think that having the
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 18:44 — jenmanI think that having the priorities applied to all 5 choices and not just your 1st choice would have made a significant difference.
I remember speakers at the Rolesville Middle hearing talking about the feeder patterns. You're right--it wasn't just YR options that they messed with. Several speakers mentioned participating in the choice plan so they could eventually get into a middle or high school that was closer to home.
Don't sweat the little things
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 08:26 — FSandYOUbecause the really big things don't even arrive until 2014-15.
That will be the year parents wake up one morning to find out what they really voted for with this board.
Right now they are just listening, taking notes, beating people up, silencing the opposition and trying to show their softer "bond approval" side.