Parents Want More Say Over Makeup of School Board

Raleigh, N.C. — Parents frustrated by Wake County School Board policies say they want more say in choosing the decision-makers.

Town officials in Apex, Garner, Holly Springs and Cary all support at-large school board elections to replace the district representation used now. They said they plan to lobby lawmakers in the upcoming short session.

“I've had my kids redistricted. I've had one of my son's schools converted to mandatory year-round,” Cary parent Joe Ciulla said.

“School board members don't believe they're accountable to all citizens of Wake County. That can be changed in the way they're elected,” Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly said.

The school board has nine members. Voters select one member for their geographic district.

“Eighty-nine percent of the decision-making power is really in other board members' hands and we don't get the chance to vote, and we think that's fundamentally wrong,” Ciulla said.

Ciulla launched TakeOurSchoolsBack.org to petition lawmakers to change the school board to nine at-large seats.

Rep. Dan Blue, D-Wake County, opposes it.

"It just would not make sense to have all the individual school board members convince 900,000 people as to why they ought to vote for them,” Blue said.

Supporters point out that county commissioners are elected countywide.

“It will drive accountability to the entire county and not to individual districts,” Ciulla said.

A school board member with whom WRAL spoke with said at-large elections are not a cost-effective way to choose members.

Other opponents question whether at-large elections would violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting minority influence.

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Latest Comments

Steve,

I never said that other have not given viable options. I was addressing and idividual in particular. It gets a little exausting to see "that's why my kid is not in public schools anymore". We all realize there are problems, and we applaud those that find a way out. But merely stating you are no longer attending WCPSS schools offers nothing to the conversation so to speak.

poohperson2000
March 7, 2008 8:41 a.m.

The story that really needs to come out at some point is how this issue is a matter of squabbling between political parties. State legislative authority is required for us to have at-large elections for the Board of Education. The republican legislators from Wake County support such legislation, our democrats do not. Think about it... State reps we elected who are Dems do not support giving us all the right to vote for all districts. This is ugly partisan politics, and our children are the ones caught in the cross-fire.

Parents unhappy with WCPSS is a story which has been told for a long time. I am hoping the story of politics at the expense of our children gets told.

WakeHammer
March 7, 2008 8:35 a.m.

To poohperson:

Thousands of people have continually offered viable solutions to the problem with modern education and they are ignored. To recap some of them:

1. Go to smaller, neighborhood public school systems where parents have more control.

2. Allow vouchers for any private school attendence.

3. Divide existing schools into academic, vocational, and "incorrigable" tracks.

4. Remove special needs children from mainstreaming and give them appropriate educations that will actually help them.

5. Encourage homeschooling.

6. Refuse to instruct any student who is here illegally and amend the Consitution to eliminate the naturalization provision.

7. Make English the official language of America and insist that every student communicate in proper English.

8. Get back to actually educating our kids rather than using them for silly sociological experiments. If we are actaully creating an educated population then minor error in judgement by the school board will be overlooked.

Steve Crisp
March 6, 2008 4:53 p.m.

If Blue is against it, it will never happen because of his personal influence in the GA and the policy that a local bill that doesn't have unanomous support of the local delegation never gets outta committee. The only exception would be if the Duke of Dare and the House Speaker want it passed.

wa4mjf
March 6, 2008 4:10 p.m.

Parents do need more control of this, especially who is elected. The people making these decisions have nothing to do with these schools, it's all for forcing diversity.