Parents of Brier Creek Elementary students upset by proposal to switch schools
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A majority of more than 150 parents packed inside the cafeteria at Brier Creek Elementary Tuesday want the school to remain on a year-round calendar, but they got sobering news when Wake County Schools officials answered their questions about the impact of a new school.
"There's no guaranteed seat for a child who stays here today," one of the staff members explained.
The school board is weighing whether to move students, staff and teachers from Brier Creek to a new school under construction. Tentatively called E-38, the new facility will have 52 classrooms and bigger accommodations, which will ease overcrowding at Brier Creek. Brier Creek only has 38 classrooms, six temporary classrooms and is 146 students over capacity.
"My preference would be for nothing to change, but it's pretty clear that's not going to happen," said PTA member Beth Rossen.
Another Parent Monique Harris told ABC11 the school board should consider making her second grader Nadia's school bigger.
"It appeared that there was no energy put into expanding this building, and I think that that's an option that should really be looked at," said Harris.
Breaking up the Brier Creek community is big problem for a lot of parents. Brier Creek's would become a traditional-calendar school, which would force some kids, teachers, and staff to transfer to the new school, which would become a year-round.
"At the end of the day, kids get a good education here with the staff in this facility," said PTA president Allen Oliver, "It's just a shame that all of this is getting potentially broken up."
School officials say once the new school opens in 2016, the proposal wouldn't affect fourth and fifth graders. Second and third graders could be grandfathered to stay at their current school.
The school system says it will continue to gather feedback from parents and discuss further moves in a facilities committee meeting Feb. 11. The school board could vote as soon as March 17. Student assignments will be considered as the 2016-17 district-wide enrollment plan is discussed this Fall. The board will approve the enrollment plan in late 2015.
"Parents are being forced into whatever decision they say the board wants and I think it's important for parents to realize that the board moves based on what we want," said Harris.
