Here's a quick recap on today's facilities committee meeting.
The school board wrapped up the magnet school discussion without proposing any changes to the magnet selection process. But staff is looking at the draw areas for magnet and year-round schools so stay tuned.
I'll do a separate post on the magnet discussion later. For now, I'll focus more on the Forest Ridge High discussion.
In a nutshell, the school district is still moving forward with using the site on Forestville Road near U.S. 401.
Asst. Supt. Joe Desormeaux said they've completed new traffic studies for the site but are now waiting to hear from the state and Raleigh about how it could impact costs.
The review of alternate sites is also moving forward.
A working group of county and school staff have been reevaluating sites within and near the original target ring for the school. A narrowed-down list is now being reviewed by the county's Water Quality Department to see what water issues might knock out those parcels.
Once the water people pare down the list, staff from the county, Raleigh, state Department of Transportation, Wake Forest, Rolesville and the school system will meet Friday and shrink the list further.
The list will then go back to the working group, which will compare the parcels to the existing site. They'll forward the information to the school board and county commissioners in November.
Comments
Not the last thing they will move forward with!
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 14:41 — stacy123Do not be surprised if 1 more re-assignment plan for 2010-11 comes out before the new board gets sworn in! Seriosuly though, I bet there will be more actions before the new board moves in the assignment for next year would probably be a major step they would not do but hey it would not surprise me.
Counting Down To December 1
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 11:50 — Lisa_BCall me crazy, but WHY would they insist on moving forward with a site that the new board members have already said will NOT be used? It's situations like this that remind me of how the arrogant and closed-minded attitudes have gotten all of us into the crazy situations we're dealing with today.
I am still dumfounded as to why they are not spending any time dismantling the failed MYR experiment ASAP. Granted, calendar reversals are fairly simple, so I guess they're leaving that to the "new board", but starting the process now would sure help get things in the right direction. It's a given that there will be MULTIPLE schools taken off the year-round calendar next fall. (FINALLY!!!) WHY NOT spend time working on THAT while you've got it? Is the current board going to keep ignoring issues that SHOULD be receiving attention in favor of forging forward on something they KNOW will not be used?
Formulating a new diversity policy and re-vamping how WCPSS handles busing is a long-range project that will not and should not be implemented overnight. Obviously that is something that is going to take MAJOR time and planning to be sure that it is effective. SO, why waste another minute discussing an unacceptable school site when there are issues that REALLY need to get attention?
We can't buy time, and we can't get back wasted time. Knowing that family-friendly and achievement-focused changes are coming SOON is so exciting.
It looks like John Tedesco will have to wait another week until his position is solidified. He is certainly the right man for the job...this is all SO EXCITING for those of us who have lived/breathed school assignment mess for years. The insanity will finally be behind us, and transparent & effective decisions will become commonplace.
I suspect
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 20:37 — TrailerParkGirlI suspect that they may think their vote-for-Truitt-to-vacate-the-seat-so-we-can-fill-it plan may work, putting everything back to square one.
I don't think so
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 18:59 — Bob_SconceI don't think the current board has the authority to fill the seat. They can only fill vacancies, and the seat wouldn't be vacant until December. At that point the then-sitting board would have to fill it. That would be a mean 4-4 fight. Of course, the board chair (Kevin Hill) isn't supposed to vote except in a tie, and absent his vote, the vote would be 4-3.
But, that's just my opinion. All the more reason to get the vote out for JT.
It's so confusing
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 00:24 — TrailerParkGirlI've seen it reported that the old BOE would decide, the new BOE would decide, and that the seat would not be considered vacant but that Cathy Truitt could still win. What a mess.
Well said LB!
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 14:02 — g88ky07You're not crazy, the departing board is going to get in all the jabs they can against us in their last month of power to thank us for ending their agenda and failed experiments!
I also think you're correct about MYR reversals. I believe the new board will can 1/2, or maybe more, of the latest 22 schools converted. They were never needed and the lies used to perpitrate that fraud might need an investigation! I think they will also use some common sense and dismantle the 25,000+ reassignment garbage and opt for a real solution. I think Whacky Wednesdays will go and probably another 8 or 10 stupid decisions and agendas from previous failed school board members will get the yank!
A week from today district 2 voters WILL put an end to this ridiculous mess by electing John Tedesco in a 2nd landslide and then the healing will begin!
"In a nutshell, the school
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 09:48 — woodstock"In a nutshell, the school district is still moving forward with using the site on Forestville Road near U.S. 401."
1 : devoid of meaning : senseless <a pointless remark>
2 : devoid of effectiveness : flat <pointless attempts to be funny>
— point·less·ly adverb
— point·less·ness noun