Wake schools expecting more growth
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Wake Schools are - once again - preparing teachers and families for change.
Tuesday, ABC11 got a first look at the new school enrollment plan for this school year and an idea of what's coming down the pike over the next five years. In a word: growth. Officials expect 3,000 new students to enroll in the 2016-2017 school year.
Board members presented potential changes in base attendance maps and proposed rezoning for elementary, middle and high school students to balance out existing enrollment and prepare for base attendance at five new schools opening next year.
To ease overcrowding, the county is opening four elementary schools in 2016-2017 (Beaverdam, Oakview, Pleasant Grove and White Oak) and one new middle school (Pine Hollow Middle).
Board members say the changes were made with "optimization" software to ease crowding and prioritize stability and ease of transportation.
That software also takes into account three more new schools set to open in 2017-2018 and five more opening in 2018-2019. About half of those will be middle and high schools.
The county is launching a new website so families can look up their address and see how the changes may affect them. School officials say enrollment changes last year affected less than 2 percent of students.
The same grandfathering policies the county used last year will apply again this year with families that choose previously assigned schools - again - forgoing public transportation.
The County is looking for feedback to make revision for a second draft, which is schedule to be presented on Sept. 15. A final draft is voted on in late November / early December.
