Wake County school board looks to make schools more equal

Not all schools in the Wake County Public School system perform the same. Some have more low-income students and deal with lagging scores. Monday’s discussion focused on how to level the playing field.

In some cases, making things equal means increased costs or moving resources around.

Diversity in student assignment was once again discussed, but Wake County school board member Keith Sutton said that things would be different this time. Board members said the concept would be lightly applied around only new schools and with stability in mind.

“In the past, that is all we have ever talked about. That is the only tool we have ever used and I think there are many more tools at our disposal,” Sutton said.

One idea discussed was to create small, innovative schools in needy areas, although cost could be a prohibiting factor in that case. Cheaper ideas included moving resources from schools that board members feel can do without them to schools that could really use them.

“What can we do to provide extra resources to schools based on the needs of individual schools,” said school board member Tom Benton.

The topics discussed Monday were only ideas and school leaders have not yet fleshed them out into plans that could be put into place.