RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County school leaders are trying to find a way to deal with overcrowding that is fast and good for students.

They hope a series of meetings with parents and the community will help spark some new ideas.

This year, student enrollment is already up by 5,400 students. Add that to last year's total, and that means 10,000 new students in the past two years.

"We just have too many kids for the building we have," assistant principal Sharon Wood said.

"It's an awfully difficult situation. We've had 2,000 extra children in the last two years," school board member Kathryn Quigg said.

"It is a race. We have to keep up with explosive student population and growth," Clint Jobe said.

Turner Creek was one of seven new schools that opened this year.

"This is a big change for the district. A lot of schools opening as I said, this year," said Donald Haydon, Wake County associate superintendent.

Eight more schools will open in the next two years. For now, it means crowded cafeterias, a lot of planning and preparing for the possibility of more student shuffling.

The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday night at Sanderson High School. On Wednesday, parents can speak out at Wakefield High and on Thursday at at Green Hope High.

All meetings start at 7 p.m. For a complete list of meeting dates and locations

click here

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