The fate of Panther Creek High School's new ninth-grade center is still in limbo.
A July vote blocking the Wake County school system from spending money to set up a modular ninth-grade campus next to Alston Ridge Elementary School still stands. The school board's Democratic majority hasn't called for a revote on that decision that was made when Republicans had control for a day.
During last week's school board work session, board member Deborah Prickett asked staff for an update. Prickett has been a vocal critic of using the M16 site next to Alston Ridge Elementary.
Don Haydon, chief facilities and operations officer, said they're still working on the issue and will come back to the school board as soon as they can with an update or a recommendation.
Haydon said they're still looking at several options, including the M16 site and two sites that can be leased. Using the M16 site could still pose problems for Cary town officials who don't think it should house the ninth-grade center.
Prickett said she hopes they can find a closer building than the office building in Morrisville that the school board had initially agreed to lease before opting to erect modulars at M16.
Haydon answered they're still looking, including at some sites suggested by Prickett. But Haydon added that "so far there is no good solution."
It's looking less likely with each passing day that a ninth-grade center will be ready for the 2013-14 school year.
Comments
"Trying to find a site?!"
Wed, 09/12/2012 - 07:28 — woodstock"Trying to find a site?!" That's BS.
A site and new building that would have been tailored specifically for use by the school system was identified, voted on and approved by the board in an 8-1 vote (only Martin voted against it.). THEN, Susan Evans stopped everything in its tracks, lied repeatedly to the media about her vote, and convinced her Democrat colleagues on the board to reverse their decision.
Not Morrisville
Thu, 09/13/2012 - 19:55 — local23While a majority of people who live in the Brier Creek area favor sending 9th graders near the airport, I can guarantee you the majority of Panther Creek parents do NOT favor sending our kids to a center by the RDU. Do any of you have any idea what a nightmare that drive really is and would be? You can barely get across hwy 55 to Carpenter Fire Station road to Carpenter Morrisville Rd which feeds into the Aviation Pwky which would ultimately get into airport area. I cannot even imagine getting a bus through this route! The other route, taking hwy 55 to TOLL 540 would be just as ridiculous (10 miles). We are not Green Hope HS (which would be closer to airport), we are Panther Creek and live on the mostly the western side of wake county where most of the kids who do attend PCHS are located on the western side of hwy 55 from Cary to Apex with the exception of Brier Creek area (which no one can understand why in the heck they come all this way to PCHS when there are HS closer to them). I don't understand why they cannot just use what is located in this area or get the new HS area (Roberts Rd) and clear some land and put in temporary modulars until you can get this school up and built of just leave well enough alone and let the 9th graders attend PC. Yes it will be crowded but probably no more than this year.
You vastly exaggerate. One
Fri, 09/14/2012 - 16:52 — woodstockYou vastly exaggerate. One easy route is down 55 to Hopson, which turns into Page wich takes you right to the proposed site (the one Evans voted for before she was lied about it then voted against it). There's hardly any traffic and it takes about 15 minutes driving at leisuely pace. Not a nightmare by any stretch of anyone's imagination. Taking 540 (yes, it's a toll, but that is another issue altogether) and it takes even less time.
Also, PCHS is only about 2 miles further away from Brier Creek than Leesville HS is. You act like it is on the other side of the county... another exaggeration.
PS Glad to see you are all for people attending the closest schools.
Sorry you feel
Fri, 09/14/2012 - 22:15 — local23that this was an exaggeration, but IMHO it depends on where you are coming from..if we are further down by High House and need to use hwy 55 in the morning, well there is a back-up, so sorry you feel that I am exaggerating, but by golly I have lived in this cornerstone of Cary for 12 years and most of the traffic in the morning and evening is congestive. It's enough to just get to PC within 15-20 minutes.
No I don't think Brier Creek is on the other side of the world, just pretty far for that area to belong to PC, but geez PC is in Cary and exactly where is Brier Creek - in Raleigh, but the bigger issue is why Brier Creek area does not have another HS and MS built for that area. Cary is huge, but the HS in our area, PC & GH pretty much serve the western area of Cary & some of Morrisville and Apex and for some reason serve Brier Creek area which is Raleigh. With the new school to be built on Roberts Rd, that will mean some of the kids who attend PC from Apex will most likely go to that school, which will be a good thing as there is crowding at PC.
Now to the comment for attending closest schools, I am all for it, but logistics still have to have a play in this; just because PC might be closer to Brier Creek (which according to Google not quite), with traffic and the surrounding area of PC, does it logistically make sense to send Brier Creek to PC, even if it might be longer drive? Well Google Maps says 6.8 miles from Brier Creek Commons to Leesville HS, using hwy 70 & Westgate Rd and that from Brier Creek Commons to Panther Creek HS is 10.6 miles using 540 & if you use 147 N & TW Alexander Dr, it is 14.3 miles! I realize it's somewhat of a prespective view, because it depends on where someone lives near the Brier Creek area, the same with people who live closer to Apex, but attend PC.
Our area has gotten very crowded as well as the Brier Creek area and I just would like to know why there are no plans for a HS & MS for that entire area? What does Prickett say about all of this? The districts divisions are really weird, because the MS in her district feeds into Leesville HS, yet she has two Morrisville ES, 1 Cary ES and PC, when in fact Mills Park MS feeds into PC which is district 8 (Evans..sighh)..very bizarre on how these are divided with no real logistics playing into their who has what schools!!
What you'd have to do is
Sun, 09/16/2012 - 07:44 — danofncWhat you'd have to do is look at the populations surrounding the schools. There is probably just more development around LRHS, which means that Brier Creek has to go toward Apex instead of toward north Raleigh. It most likely is entirely a logistical issue.
I'm pretty sure I've read in several places that there isn't any affordable land available in the Brier Creek area that would be big enough for a MS or HS. Blame the county for allowing such a massive development in an area without requiring/planning for a MS and/or HS.
But you do realize
Thu, 09/13/2012 - 20:15 — FSandYOUthat it's not about what parents want or how far they have to drive don't you?
You don't have to drive at all, just wait for the bus to show up. It will get them there,
Eventually.
Why don't they buy the
Tue, 09/11/2012 - 23:12 — DrActualFactualWhy don't they buy the acreage at the corner of Hwy 55 and McKrimmon (adjacent to the school)? Couldn't they use the H7 HS location as a land-bank tradeoff sale and purchase the parcel next to the school. Then, if the Pleasant Grove leased site is still available lease it and make it an AP course themed school with some virtual tv technology and have kids from Green Hope HS, PCHS, and Leesville that are Sophomores/Juniors/Seniors that can drive attend it instead of a 9th grade center use it as a school that draws population away from the nearby high schools with the lure of AP course curriculum.
Wow!
Wed, 09/12/2012 - 08:19 — realisticThe West's own little Enloe Jr.... Leaving access to some AP courses unreachable for the less fortunate at those schools, due to that pesky no car problem.
I believe that's called "charter".
No, sorry you got that
Wed, 09/12/2012 - 12:35 — DrActualFactualNo, sorry you got that impression. All the HS I mentioned are in reasonable proximity from main campus to the proposed leased facility. They all offer AP courses now and GHHS already has the virtual class tv equipment installed. What I am suggesting is that older students (that can drive back and forth from the satellite facility to the main campus for after school clubs/activities) might make the trip if you offered 2-3 more AP courses that are not available at their current schools (micro/macro economics, european history) whatever. It would not at all be a costly "magnet school" with all the other electives. (In fact, perhaps Enloe can virtual feed one or two of their classes). The 9th grade underclassmen at our school don't have access to an AP course offering via span. Sophomore year they might be allowed to select AP Gov. I'm merely saying that rather than load up a school with 9th graders off-site that present real transportation issues you might be better off to see if you can move some of the upperclassmen that can drive out (and you don't have to bear transportation costs) and the parents might support having kids make the trip if they think there is an academic reason. Many of these upperclassmen are taking AP classes now, taking a few with teachers and a few over a virtual feed seemed like a reasonable compromise that would give us a facility in the West/North area. I guess a two-way virtual feed with the teacher rotating days at facilities although not optimal is not an option you like. Nearby charter schools will probably wind up getting some of the students anyway--too bad the public schools can't react quickly enough to solve their own problems.
...
Tue, 09/11/2012 - 18:54 — SideburnsWell, they originally had a perfectly good solution that would have opened this year. Parents can thank Evans for lying and backpedaling on that decision.