Barring any last-minute changes next week, it looks like the new year-round calendar option for Lynn Road Elementary base families will be Wakefield Elementary.
But the discussion on the issue during Tuesday's Wake County school board student assignment work session raises issues about the role year-round calendar options should play in the district. Should Wake continue to not offer year-round options that are considered more attractive than the base school?
The discussion also raised the prospect that the school system may at some point convert Wakefield Elementary back to a traditional calendar.
As this handout shows, 12 base nodes at Lynn Road apply to Green Elementary this school year as the year-round option. But Green, as part of it becoming a magnet school next year, is switching to a traditional calendar.
In the assignment plan, staff recommended making Wakefield the new year-round option for those 12 nodes.
Laura Evans, senior director for student assignment, told the board about the feedback that's been received so far on the change.
Laura Evans said that at least one family wanted a more proximate option than Wakefield. She also said they've also heard from a couple of people questioning whether Wakefield would be a good choice in case the board converts it back to traditional.
Wakefield Elementary is part of a K-12 campus. The elementary school was among the group of 22 schools that converted to a year-round calendar in 2007 while the middle school and high school remained on the traditional calendar.
Some parents unsuccessfully fought the conversion. Parents lobbied the board in 2010 to convert it back. But the effort died after Wakefield's board member, Kevin Hill, didn't back the change.
Laura Evans told the board that there "certainly" are seats at Wakefield Elementary. The school holds fewer students now on the year-round calendar than it did before the conversion.
"What I can say from staff’s end is we want to be a little bit careful here we don’t tie the board’s hand," said Temporary Superintendent Stephen Gainey. "If we get a bunch of people here at Wakefield Elementary and then there be a chance to realign that campus as a K-12 traditional and so we’re leery there. We’re leery."
The possibility of converting Wakefield caught board members off guard.
“Is that something that’s even been in discussion?" said board member John Tedesco. "I haven’t heard that for the last two years.”
“I think it’s trying to anticipate — with no new schools coming on line — seats," Hill said. "And right now as a year-round at the elementary there are seats.”
Board member Susan Evans asked staff what the options are.
Laura Evans said that in 2011-12, the last year families officially applied for a calendar school, they handled everyone who applied to a traditional-calendar school. She said they weren't able to handle all requests for year-round schools, citing Adams, Durant and Heritage elementary schools and Heritage Middle School.
Laura Evans said they could choose not to use Wakefield "to not tie hands" and have them apply to Durant Elementary. But she said that would lead to a greater possibility of not being able to seat everyone who applies to Durant.
“It’s a tough one," Laura Evans said.
Board member Jim Martin asked how proximate Wakefield is to Lynn Road and what are the most proximate options. Other board members said Wakefield is nowhere near Lynn Road.
Laura Evans said that Pleasant Union and Brassfield elementary schools are "definitely more proximate." Martin asked "what's the downside" of using either school.
“I’m just going to throw this on the table because it’s always been part of our history," said Laura Evans. "When we offer calendar options, we also try to look at we’re offering families a choice, but not at the expense of a sending school. So it’s just a fine line what I’m trying to say.
Is the calendar-option school more attractive than my base school? And so that those that can accommodate the year-round calendar will take that option and so that the base school is left with students who are not able to deal with the track-out care for their children. So we’ve always been real cautious about that.
We’ve not had a conversation recently with the board about any of that, but Dr. Gainey and I were talking about it this morning.”
Susan Evans asked what would be staff's recommendation if Wakefield isn't used. Laura Evans again said that Brassfield and Pleasant Union are more proximate.
Martin said they have to make some decision because Green is no longer a usable option.
Laura Evans said they can leave Wakefield as the year-round option and grandfather any students who go there.
"The ultimate thing is try not to create bigger reassignments," Gainey added.
Susan Evans asked if they have any sense how many families in the Lynn Road base choose year-round.
Board member Christine Kushner said that since Lynn Road is near capacity and Green is undercapacity that she's guess most families are sticking with he traditional calendar.
Susan Evans said if that's the case they should stick with Wakefield.
Gainey said sticking with Wakefield would help with the issue raised earlier in the work session by Martin about the choice plan this school year causing the free-and-reduced-lunch rates to go up at the high F&R schools and to drop at the low F&R schools.
Martin said that as they look at calendar-option assignments that it doesn't make sense to have assignments that aggravate the problem.
“We can roll the dice here," Gainey said of using Wakefield.
After the meeting, Hill said he was surprised that conversion of Wakefield had been brought up Tuesday because the board hasn't discussed it in the past few years. Hill said he considers conversion of Wakefield to be a "non issue" with all the other issues they're now facing in the district.
Comments
if it were not so scary
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 18:45 — snordoneI would say that Martin's question is "interesting." Interesting because it shows how truly clueless these magnet parents are about the reality of policy 6200 and 'choice.' In their minds this policy was great, it provided demographic balance and prevented high poverty schools. In reality it created a system of haves and have nots, and kept parents of normal means handcuffed in failing schools. If you have two working parents (not a stretch around Lynn Rd, it is solid middle class) how do you get your kid 20 miles away to stronger school with enrichment? You don't. You can't. Maybe even you don't want your kid 20 miles away. But if you could go to PUES or Brassfield - excellent. Great. Excellent schools with tons of enrichment.
Oh wait, we can't give parents the opportunity to go to fully funded schools, we need to keep them hostage in under-enrolled, under-funded schools. We need their 'numbers.'
Jim, Susan and Christine have no understanding of what this policy is really about. Kevin knows but does not care.
Argh....
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 11:50 — Bob_SconceKevin Hill stands in the way again.
A few facts:
(1) Wakefield ES indeed, has fewer students than it did on a traditional calendar.
(2) Wakefield ES actually has a lower capacity as a year-round school than it did on a traditional calendar.
(3) Wakefield ES could be run, with its current student population, on a traditional calendar -- track 2 is, for all practical purposes, empty.
(4) In the survey after the '09 election, Wakefield ES was one of the few Year-Round schools where parents supported the conversion back to a traditional calendar.
(5) North Forest Pines, on the other side of the Wakefield development, is a year-round school and (combined with Heritage ES, which was the year-round option before the '07 conversions) would be a great choice for those relatively few families who want the YR option.
Don't forget that Abbotts
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 12:34 — jenmanDon't forget that Abbotts Creek will open on a YR calendar as well.
Don't forget that Lynn Road
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 12:40 — WakeCtyMomDon't forget that Lynn Road also only gets the one calendar option this year. Most schools have 2.
Abbotts Creek will be its other option the following year -- if it opens. Bedford families will probably make sure Abbotts Creek does not open until the permanent campus is complete and is in their backyard.
so
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 11:21 — AngelaWfinally.
the emperor has no clothes.
Butt naked
Sat, 12/08/2012 - 18:31 — snordoneBut does it matter to these idiots?
No. They don't care that the rest of the county gets crap as long as they have their magnet excess.
What is wrong with you people? Can't you see we ALL have options?
Let me understand
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 11:05 — srhudson06So have these idiots taken us back to: "you can't attend the YR option cause we 'need' you at your base for the numbers". If that's the case, expect plenty of people to leave wcpss completely. Then where are the numbers they are looking for?
odious choices
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 10:52 — loriac'Laura Evans said that Pleasant Union and Brassfield elementary schools are "definitely more proximate." Martin asked "what's the downside" of using either school.
“I’m just going to throw this on the table because it’s always been part of our history," said Laura Evans. "When we offer calendar options, we also try to look at we’re offering families a choice, but not at the expense of a sending school. So it’s just a fine line what I’m trying to say.
Is the calendar-option school more attractive than my base school? And so that those that can accommodate the year-round calendar will take that option and so that the base school is left with students who are not able to deal with the track-out care for their children. So we’ve always been real cautious about that.'
This is so discouraging. Now that Mr. Tata is gone, instead of talking about how to improve schools and make sure all students have an opportunity to get what they need, we are talking about the 'odious choice' practice of 'encouraging' certain people to stay at a school. This is so sad - we came so far in such a short time with Mr. Tata.
Ughhh....
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 12:05 — JanisTangoThey sure didn't think about that when they moved 60% of the students from Hilburn to Sycamore Creek years ago. That move was at the expense of Hilburn. Hilburn never recovered until Mr. Tata came along and did something! It's a thriving FULLY UTILIZED school now.
I would like to see them make Lynn Road or a school in that area a year round. I know many families that go to Green that are upset they won't be a year round next year. That area could draw Green familes into Lynn Road that want YR and if Lynn Road folks wanted to stay traditional, there are a lot of options for traditional schools that do have some space in the area like Jeffreys Grove, York, Lead Mine, Stough and they could even apply to Green as a magnet. Lynn Road was rennovated so that building might be easier to adapt to a year round structure. It's time to start thinking outside the BUS. They just don't get it. Many families that live around Lynn and Green that want year round are not going to go 12 miles away to get a YR calendar.
The key point to this babble
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 10:41 — FSandYOUThis school board is continuing to waste the tax payer's money.
MYR, YR, what ever you want to call it, is wasting the tax payer's money in Wake County.
Way to keep kicking the can down the road school board!
re: key point...
Sun, 12/09/2012 - 17:34 — spunkersi must be out of the loop, because i don't understand what is so bad about year round. my child is in year round, and we really like it. can you enlighten me? thanks.
What track are you on?
Mon, 12/10/2012 - 10:53 — tropicalgirlWhat track are you on? Because I think that makes a huge difference. We are currently on track 4 and like it. We would absolutely hate track 2 though - our daughter has a cousin in Virginia that she sees for a week at a time when school is out. Since his school is traditional, if we were on track 2, we would lose that opportunity because there is no overlap in the schedule. Since they are both only children, this is a huge deal for our families.
And since she is an only child, I am completely bracing myself that she'll be moved to track 2 when we go to middle school next year since they'll need to fill track 2 and won't want to move children with siblings.
So while I like year-round for us and for now, I can't support it as a mandatory thing in any way because I know there are families who have been forced into schedules that don't work for them and that sort of thing can cast a huge pall on schooling.
Enlighten you?
Mon, 12/10/2012 - 10:00 — FSandYOUIf you're just joining THIS conversation you're about 6-8 years too late, but the wcpss and boards like this current one love people like you.
I will ask you some questions though, if you don't mind,
How under enrolled is your school? What's your class size? Were you forced to YR or did you choose it? Do all your neighbors feel like you and attend the same school? Are you planning to not have any other children or will you be fine with different schedules as your kid(s) move up the tiers? Are you happy with getting the shaft in the offerings department compared to the gifted and blessed magnet children in your area? Will you be ok with being told your assignment will change to something else in 2014-15? Or that your track will be changed without your approval? Or as in the case of some schools, without even notifying you until the 2nd week of school?
Thanks.
There is absolutely nothing
Sun, 12/09/2012 - 18:04 — shearertwThere is absolutely nothing wrong with YR if it is by choice and all four tracks are filled to capacity. There is a LOT wrong with MYR because that schedule doesn't work for a lot of families, particularly low income families who don't have a lot of child care options. It's a lot easier to work out child care for one long continuous stretch when older children/HS and college (iie babysitters) are out for the summer and available. Some of us have other issues with the YR schedule around extra curricular activities we believe are just as important educationally as school but no need to get into that. Lets just leave it as The YR schedule does work well for some/many. Now, the problem with voluntary YR, as far as WCPSS is concerned, is that the wealthier parents tend to volunteer for YR bc they can deal with the recurrent child care issues, etc, and that tends to screw up the whole diversity thing for WCPSS. The YR schools tend to end up "unbalanced" and also drain away non-ED kids from higher ED schools. Some parents may even prefer the traditional calendar but volunteer for YR just to get out of a failing, high ED school. WCPSS just can't deal with that. Also, I don't believe the demand for YR is as great as it once was and several of those schools are now below their traditional calendar capacity so what is the point?
I think this statement is
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 10:34 — shearertwI think this statement is quite profound....
Is the calendar-option school more attractive than my base school? And so that those that can accommodate the year-round calendar will take that option and so that the base school is left with students who are not able to deal with the track-out care for their children. So we’ve always been real cautious about that.
First, it clearly acknowledges that some schools are better than others (more attractive) which clearly flies in the face of "all schools in Wake Co. are good schools". Second, why are we always spending time talking about assignments and calendars instead of making ALL WCPSS attractive? Finally, and most importantly, it is a clear acknowledgement by WCPSS staff that YR schools are NOT good options for low income students/parents. Again, going back to the MYR discussion and how it was related to assignment and NOT capacity, WCPSS clearly wanted to use MYR to push YR down people's throats who they KNEW it was difficult for them to make it work for their families JUST so they could accomplish their "diversity" targets! Again, while "claiming" to be looking out for ED folks, WCPSS's entire culture is aimed at screwing them over just to make themselves look good. Absolutely AMAZING!