The Raleigh Police Department is pegging its costs for the July 20 Wake County school board meeting at $14,000.
In a statement today, Police Chief Harry Dolan said the $14,000 figure represents the cost of bringing in additional officers to respond. He's not counting officers who were providing security as part of their regular duties at the meeting, in which 19 people were arrested.
The school system has estimated it paid $2,197 for off-duty armed police and private security at the meeting.
A large security presence is again expected for Tuesday's meeting.
In a new measure, the Raleigh Police Department has installed its own video camera in the board meeting room. Unlike the feed provided by the Raleigh Television Network, the police feed will stay on when the board recesses or is in closed session.
Here's Dolan's statement:
“The Raleigh Police Department incurred approximately $14,000 in additional personnel costs associated with providing additional public safety services at the July 20 meeting of the Wake County Board of Education. That estimate represents costs associated with the RPD personnel who worked the event in an extra-duty capacity and does not include personnel engaged in various aspects of the event’s security as part of their regular duty. The July 20 additional costs will be funded through the department’s limited special events management budget. It is important to note that if significant additional public safety costs continue to be required for school board meetings, additional funding sources will need to be identified.”
Comments
Jenman
Tue, 08/10/2010 - 13:11 — Bob_SconceJenman hit it on the head. You many not have been on the blog a few weeks ago when Jeffrey1 posted an article Keung wrote in 2000 (IIRC) regarding the steps that the district was going to take to bolster the magnet program, which was apparantly flagging from lack of interest -- non-magnet schools had instituted magnet-like programs Among other things, non-magnet elementary schools were barred from having electives and non-magnet high schools were barred from having a 7th class period for 'electives.'
I'm with you on the idea that all schools should be magnets. I'll note, though, that there's only so much cash to around and it may be reasonble to take away some facet of a magnet program in order to more adequately serve other schools. For example, if a magnet teaches 7 foreign languages, it might be reasonable to reduce that to 5 so that a few other schools can teach one.
Second, if one person enjoys
Tue, 08/10/2010 - 12:53 — jenmanSecond, if one person enjoys benefits that another doesn't, that doesn't necessarily mean that each should be brought down to the lower level. Why not try to raise the second program up?
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I agree, but this will require a fundamental change in the magnet program. The success of the current magnet program is dependent upon keeping the other schools down. If rigorous academic programs with a wider variety of electives are available at all high schools, then there is no incentive for anybody to go to Enloe.
I believe the Enloe students when they say they love the diversity they are exposed to, but I doubt that too many of them would still attend if they could get the same academic programs at their base high schools. It's time to get honest. Enloe is a magnet with all the extras that nobody else can have because they couldn't get anybody to go there otherwise. Middle class families were not willing to send their kids there unless they were given extras. It's an ugly truth but one that needs to be acknowledged. That's what I find frustrating with the magnet families. Admitting the weaknesses of your arguments doesn't mean that you don't still have valid arguments to make. Discussing these hard issues is the only way that our community will come together to make our system better.
So here's a question for you (and anybody else): how can we raise the other schools up to Enloe's level while still preserving Enloe? If everybody can get those programs at the local base high school, how will Enloe remain attractive? There's no right or wrong answer, I'm just interested in discussion and sharing ideas.
Yeah, see... there's a
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 21:54 — true_freedomYeah, see... there's a difference between challenging someone and flat-out insulting them. This is exactly why all the young kids hate you guys so much, which is kind of funny because all of you guys claim to want to help the youth although a huge majority of you are older and have no kids in the school system. You want to actually help the kids? Stop with the personal insults and listen to the people that actually matter, try to get to some sort of common ground. That does not mean Art Pope or your other "great" leaders. That means the students, the parents, and the teachers.
What I think you should do is stop "challenging" young kids and start to at least make a small attempt at coming to an agreement with them.
I have two kids in the
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 22:32 — CaryCurmudgeonI have two kids in the school system, both at Panther Creek HS. I listen to them every day. "Listen to the people that actually matter?" I am worried the most about the kids who do not come to magnet schools from affluent families, the ones who are falling out of our schools at an alarming rate (worse when they are at magnets). We don't hear much from them. I do know that the poll shows that there is little support among minority and ED families for forced busing. Your comment about Art Pope shows that you are taking what a few zealots are telling you as fact. I have never met Art Pope. I am registered Unaffiliated. In the elections that matter most (municipal) I generally support Democrats. You are being fed an illusion that the ordinary people on "my side" are a bunch of jack-booted conservatives who look to Art Pope and Bob Luddy for leadership. To the best of my knowledge, none of the parents I worked with on last year's campaign are tea partiers.
When I look at the Enloe bunch that shows up for protests, they don't seem very diverse. Neither do the graduation classes. Are you trying to protect the diversity in your school, or are you trying to protect what I agree is the richest curriculum in Wake County. Are you aware that minority and ED students do worse academically at Enloe than most other Wake County high schools? Diversity for diversity's sake doesn't mean much when kids don't graduate.
Another misconception you are being fed is that the people on "my side" are being selfish and are trying to keep ED and minority students out of "our" schools. Again, completely false. Nothing the new board does will have any measureable effect on my two kids, they will be fine. As most of the opposition seems to come from magnet students and parents, I find myself wondering who the selfish ones really are.
Would you like to tutor one of these students?
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 23:03 — HereWeGoWould you like to tutor one of these students?
Actually, our family has
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 23:07 — CaryCurmudgeonActually, our family has built a relationship with a minority ED student, and we help him out with all aspects of his life, not just school.
Question
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 23:10 — HereWeGoFrom Southeast Raleigh? Does he attend a Magnet School. I think you have no idea what goes on in the magnet program. If you like I can get you inside a downtown magnet.
question
Tue, 08/10/2010 - 14:37 — red_balloonIf you like I can get you inside a downtown magnet.
No. He applied to a magnet
Tue, 08/10/2010 - 08:07 — CaryCurmudgeonNo. He applied to a magnet school but was denied. Possibly because of his SES status?
The way the magnet process is set up, ED students have little chance of admission because there are already "enough" ED students assigned as base. What makes you think that as an application student you have more right to go to a magnet school than another application student who happens to be ED?
Help the youth? That would
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 22:30 — red_balloonHelp the youth? That would be a superfluous measure given that they are quite adroit at helping themselves to extra resources aboard the magnet yacht.
I am not surprised at the talk of hate. It is similar to the xenophobic sentiments expressed by one of the 'diversity' leaders and totally in line with the standards we have seen from those threatened by losing privileged access to public resources.
I like your "stop with the personal insults" remark. Perhaps that can be added to a magnet elective. And Brannon's checklist.
OT - Arrests
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 16:29 — Bob_SconceKeung -- Any word on what happened in court for the original 4 arrestees?
No. They keep rescheduling
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 16:45 — KeungHui (author)No. They keep rescheduling the hearings. They still haven't had yet the hearings for the three people who were arrested in March.
Just a thought--let's all
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 18:21 — DrActualFactualJust a thought--let's all gather to support their right to a speedy trial! (Maybe the court costs will go down then.) Or, if you don't film/televise the proceedings some may not show up at all and look for better face-time exposure elsewhere.
I'd like to see this
Mon, 08/09/2010 - 15:04 — jblues1969I'd like to see this itemized. Sounds very inflated to me.