"Heck for those who really want Choice add in some fee to help cover the busing and other expenses." - gparrish

In many school systems in the U.S. parents are required to pay for bussing if they do not select the base neighborhood school. The other option being driving your own child. There are exceptions for low income families and also for families with special needs children to these type of policies.

"For these reasons I think the Neighborhood+Choice is the way to go" - gparrish

Most successful school systems in the U.S. use "neighborhood school assignment" with one base school permanently assigned to a neighborhood. These school systems also use an "overlay" for magnet assignments. Wake should mirror this and assign a permanent base school to each neighborhood and give parents the following choices only:

1) Magnet schools (e.g. art, languages, science, etc.). This helps use under-utilized schools and helps diversity.

2) Year round vs. traditional choice if the base school is on the unwanted schedule.

3) A different school if the base school is not meeting the educational needs of your child.

"The movement is finished....it never was more than a tiny minority of parents and since they appear to be unwilling to pay for the extra buses."

As proven by the 95% of school systems in the U.S. that use Neighborhood School Assignment, the lowest number of busses and lowest transportation costs are associated with a base neighborhood school plans where 1 (rather then 5 or more) base schools are permanently associated with a neighborhood. This should be obvious with minimal thinking required.

Crabbit Cratur,

I think it does make a difference. Walking to school is one thing, but busing to schools 1-5 miles a way is much better on resources than 5-20 miles with the diversity plan for both schools, parents and students.

Also someone mentioned moving to where the school is located. that is a huge price to pay and even then you can have a school completely change up everything as the Green ES person mentioned.

For these reasons I think the Neighborhood+Choice is the way to go. This keeps the locals happy and then those who want choice can get it (or try anyway). Heck for those who really want Choice add in some fee to help cover the busing and other expenses. Of course some people could not or would not be willing to pay that.

Trying to find one system that works for all is nearly impossible, but they seem to keep trying or really pandering to their own party or interests. Something they should implement is that when a new plan is implemented it should have a 3-5 lifetime.

"The only way to force "Neighborhood schools" is if the parents collectively organize a movement of non-cooperation. All parents in a neighborhood should take their kids to the respective schools on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 of the school year IRRESPECTIVE of where the kids are assigned. This means even if Syour kids are assigned to School B but you live in the neighborhood where School A is located, you take your kids to School A. This movement needs patience and determination to continue it till sufficient attention has been drawn and the school board understands you are serious."

The movement is finished....it never was more than a tiny minority of parents and since they appear to be unwilling to pay for the extra buses, the extra schools and the massive extra funding for the resultant sink schools its doomed from the start. The county is obliged to provide schooling, not schooling next to your house. In any case few schools are in walking distance so what difference does it make?