WakeEd

The WakeEd blog is devoted to discussing and answering questions about the major issues facing the Wake County school system. How much will the new Democratic majority on the school board do to undo the changes made by Republicans since 2009? Will the new student assignment plan be a hybrid of the last two models or primarily be a return to the use of busing for diversity? Who will replace Tony Tata as the new superintendent of the state's largest district? How will voters react to a likely request in 2013 to borrow potentially more than $1 billion to build and renovate schools?

WakeEd is maintained by The News & Observer's Wake schools reporter, T. Keung Hui. While Keung posts information and analysis on the issues, keep us posted on your suggestions, questions, tips and what you're doing to cope with the changes in Wake's schools.

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Opening on a traditional calendar at Leesville and Mills Park

Submitted by KeungHui on 08/25/2010 - 06:00

Today marks the start of a new calendar era for several Wake County schools.

Leesville Road elementary and middle schools will open back on a traditional calendar after having operated as year-round schools. Mills Park Elementary will make the switch to the traditional calendar after opening as a year-round school in 2009.

Today's opening of Mills Park Middle School reflects the first break with the prior board's policy of opening all new middle schools and elementary schools on a year-round calendar.

(Green Hope Elementary is also reopening today on the traditional calendar as part of the decision by the old board to change it when Alston Ridge Elementary opened.)

What impact the Leesville and Mills Park changes will have in the future remains to be seen.

The Great Schools in Wake Coalition has continued to beat up the school board majority for the conversions, calling it a waste of taxpayer money.

On the other hand, supporters of the board majority have praised the conversions back to the traditional calendar.

1282730466 Opening on a traditional calendar at Leesville and Mills Park The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

Here is what we were "sold" back then

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 21:46 — bluedaisy

All cut and pasted from Wakegov.com. This is how we were sold on the bond back then. We were told all new schools would open year round. It was a very big deal between the BOC and the BOE. The BOE did not want to open all new schools year round - they already had heard from the masses. They were told by the BOC, to reduce the bond, to get the borowing under 1bil. But, they needed the seats. In 2006, we were crowded, and growing. Y/R schools had more seats for the capital buck. What would you have done? Y/RYYWhat would you do

Costs of New Schools

Wake County is projected to collect from the lottery $9 million a year for school construction. That doesn't cover half the cost of construction and land for one elementary school. Speaking of costs for new schools:

It costs approximately $25 million for land, construction and equipment of a new 800 (1,124 on a YR calendar)-student elementary school opening in 2009-2010.
It costs approximately $46 million for land, construction and equipment of a new 1,311 (1,623 on a YR calendar)-student middle school opening in 2010-2011.
It costs approximately $79 million for land, construction and equipment of a new 2,223-student high school opening in 2010-2011.

2006 School Bond: Challenges & Solutions

WCPSS School Facility Challenges:

Growing student enrollment
- This year, WCPSS student enrollment was 128,070 on the 20th day of school.
  - That’s 7,566 more students than last year’s 20th day.
  - 2010: 160,763 (33% gain) – over 30,000 more students!
- Wake County is legally required to provide seats for new students.
Current school crowding
- Currently, WCPSS student utilization factor is 102%.
  - In other words, across the system, for every 100 seats planned, WCPSS has 102 students.
Reliance on temporary facilities
- Many mobile and modular classrooms
  - Goal: only 8 percent of students in mobile/ modular units
  - Reality: 17 percent (24 percent of elementary students) in modulars
- More than 1,000 classrooms in mobile and modular units
Aging facilities
- 31% of WCPSS’s square footage, or more than 5.5 million square feet, was built in the 1970s or earlier.

2006 School Bond Funding Plan:

Total Program: $1.056 billion
- $970 million General Obligation Bonds
- $86 million cash
Why General Obligation Bonds?
- Wake County’s financial condition is strong.
- General Obligation Bonds are the most cost-effective way to pay for debt.
- Bond financing is an effective way for current and future property owners to pay for schools.
- Tax impact of overall plan is 4.7 cents; for a similar program, the tax impact is higher using other financing mechanism.

$675.6 Million: New school construction, land acquisition and crowding solutions
- 17 New Schools
  - 11 new elementary schools
    - 19 existing elementary schools converted to year-round (YR) calendar
  - 4 new middle schools
    - 3 existing middle schools converted to YR calendar
  - 2 new high schools
  - 5 ninth-grade centers
  - Funds to equip new schools on a YR calendar
- Relocation of mobiles and modulars
- Land for another 13 schools that could open between Fall 2011 and Fall 2013
- Design start-up for new schools opening between Fall 2011 and Fall 2013

$380.2 Million: School renovations, facility assessments, and technology and equipment replacement
- 13 Major Repairs and Renovations (Major Repairs plus 2,000 new seats):
  - East Millbrook Middle
  - Lynn Road Elementary
  - Aversboro Elementary
  - Martin Middle
  - East Wake High
  - Lacy Elementary
  - Root Elementary
  - Poe Elementary
  - Wilburn Elementary
  - Bugg Elementary
  - Cary High
  - Enloe High
  - Smith Elementary

- Life-cycle replacement projects (roofs, HVAC)
- Facility assessments
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and environmental compliance
- Life-cycle equipment and furniture replacement
- Classroom technology (five-year replacement cycle)
- Child nutrition warehouse
- Design start-up for future renovations

True Debate!

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 10:29 — PACK_MIKE77

The lawsuit against the old board was forcing families to go from a traditional calendar to a year round calendar. The State Supreme Court ruled that the WCPSS board could do what ever it wanted basically, because elections are the determing factor for deciding which policies to endorse. With the old board winning the case, it shoots the winners of year round proponents in the foot, because the same logic will be used to return to traditional schools.

The WCPSS debate has always been about YR vs Traditional. NOT RACE!

The hardest part of the new assignment plan will be to determine the make-up of the schools in each zone, magnet, YR, or traditional. It is obvious some will have to change.

Will of the VOters

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 09:20 — HereWeGo

Today's opening of Mills Park Middle School reflects the first break with the prior board's policy of opening all new middle schools and elementary schools on a year-round calendar.

When I voted on the last bond I voted option 2 which was that all new schools ES & MS would open as YR. Was this not the will of the voters?

Absolutely not!

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 11:27 — midtownmom

The previous board alluded that if the smaller bond was passed, they'd make more schools year round as a cost savings factor. (BTW, because they did it so poorly and haphazardly, it cost much more that traditional.) No board ever stated that they were going to change the entire system. It probably would have worked out better if they had.

Interesting...

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 09:47 — Bob_Sconce

When I voted for the last bond, I don't recall there being a number of options on the ballot. Are you suggesting that since I didn't want year-round schools, I should have voted against the bond?

Yes or NO

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 09:59 — mommy59

Somebody will have to help me on this but I do remember somebody from the school board who wanted people to vote no on the board because it meant NO on year round schools.

I voted for the bond and got what wanted-WFRHS was rennovated and Heritage was built.I did wonder though if a yes meant I was for year round schools but since I was new in the area I wasn't too sure of how much of this was true.In my opinion you vote for a bond to help keep theschools going.

I made the difficult

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 20:21 — jenman

I made the difficult decision to vote no on the last bond because of MYR.

Before the bond, the cry was 'vote yes to avoid even more MYR' and now the refrain is that the voters wanted MYR because they voted for the bond. You can't win.

http://www.wakegov.com/budget/bonds/2006/ballot.htm

WakeEd

Opening on a traditional calendar at Leesville and Mills Park

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Here is what we were "sold" back then

Costs of New Schools

2006 School Bond: Challenges & Solutions

WCPSS School Facility Challenges:

2006 School Bond Funding Plan:

True Debate!

Will of the VOters

Absolutely not!

Interesting...

Yes or NO

I made the difficult

Hostage

Good gravy, I don't even

Margiotta

...

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Opening on a traditional calendar at Leesville and Mills Park

Comments

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Costs of New Schools

2006 School Bond: Challenges & Solutions

WCPSS School Facility Challenges:

2006 School Bond Funding Plan:

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