Wake County Public Schools adding new schools as population continues to grow

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Wake County Board of Education is dealing with growing pains across the district. We're now learning more about their 7-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The plan, which now extends through fiscal year 2031, includes school programs, improving current schools, and adding some new schools to keep up with population growth.

Of the total $2.8 billion budget, $475 million is going towards new schools. The most pressing need right now is the booming western part of the county.

Parkside Middle School in Morrisville is already under construction and set to be done by next year, and Morrisville is also set to get another high school by 2028.

For some young parents like Ramchendra Koirala who moved to Morrisville from New York, he says one of the selling points was the schools, and he's glad by the time his kids are old enough they'll have a school close by they can call home.

"That is wonderful because transportation causes issues sometimes. I have one neighbor here, he has the children. They are going to high school in Cary, but it might take like 15 or 20 minutes sometimes due to traffic," he says.

In addition to those two new schools in western Wake, eastern Wake County is also set to get a new elementary school by the year 2029.

There are at least 8 other schools right now slated for improvements over the next 7 years.

In addition, the board is grappling with the issue of increasing teachers' pay.

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