Wake County begins planning for student assignment in 2019-20

The Wake County Board of Education on Tuesday took up the always-contentious issue of student assignment.

During a work session and public meeting, the school board discussed the first of three drafts in the 2019-2020 Wake County schools enrollment plan. The final approval on the reassignment is expected in November.

"The forecasted growth is expected to exceed that for the next six years by about a thousand students," said Glenn Carrozza, with Wake County schools.

The Wake County Public School System, the largest in the state, assigns students to schools not simply geography but by a calculation that balances the student bodies based on socio-economic diversity and in an attempt to avoid over-crowding some buildings while others are under-utilized. As the county population grows and new schools are built, the board re-visits student assignments and students are sometimes moved. According to board materials, about 2 percent of the system's 160,000-plus students are reassigned each year.

"Because of our hight growth, we have overcrowded schools, so we need to address that overcrowding in schools because overcrowded schools are not healthy for children, nor are underutilized schools," Carrozza said.

According to board materials, student assignment in Wake County is based on four criteria: student achievement, proximity, stability and operational efficiency.

In 2019-20, Wake County will open two new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new high school. They are:

Morrisville City Council member Jerry Windel foresees the new school as a good thing for the town because of community feedback.

"In the area of Morrisville specifically, our population is booming, which is a great thing but, at the same time, families want close proximity for their schools," he said.

Parents have opportunities throughout the fall to provide feedback on the student assignment proposal, including public information sessions during the week of Sept. 24-28 and at a hearing on Oct. 30. All families affected by the proposal have been contacted via email.

The school board anticipates finalizing the plan for 2019-20 on Nov. 20.