Wake County School Board Decisions
and the Effects on Conn Elementary School
As you may or may not know, the Wake
County Board of Education passed the “community based schools” resolution
on March 2, 2010 by a 5-4 vote. Under this decision, Wake County schools
would move away from the economic diversity policy toward a policy that
would emphasize community based schools.
How does Conn fit into this decision?
Conn has 598 students and 286 are by
base assignment (48%), 253 are magnet (42%), 48 are transfer (8%), 10
(2%) are homeless. Conn is one of the 17 elementary magnet
schools in Wake County (out of
a total of 99 elementary schools). The logic behind magnet schools has
been to reduce high concentrations of poverty and support diverse populations,
maximize use of school facilities, and provide expanded educational
opportunities.
Currently there are 14 schools inside
the beltline. In four of these schools, more than 40% of the children
are poor enough to be eligible for free or reduced price lunches—the
main indicator statistic for
poverty and economic integration under the economic diversity policy.
At present, Conn is at 41.7% free and reduced lunch (F&R).
Wake County’s economic diversity policy historically has sought to
mix F&R lunch populations with those that do not receive F&R
lunch to attain an ideal mix at approximately 40%.
What could happen to Conn?
If the new policy is passed, then the
following could be expected. Please understand that
this will depend on how students will be assigned to their new schools
under the new “community based schools” policy. These decisions
have not been made. The following represents a best guess given
current data.
If all students are literally assigned to the school closest to their place of residence, it is estimated that Conn's student population would drop to 36% capacity and would have 46% F&R lunch. Students from nearby schools most likely would be moved to Conn to make it closer to capacity and achieve equitable distribution among schools. Nearby schools that are over capacity include Powell, Bugg, Fuller and Washington (all over 150% capacity under projections as part of the new policy). All four of these schools are 77% or higher F&R lunch. Additional students needed to fill Conn would most likely be F&R students. Conn might move closer to 70% F&R lunch. An alternative scenario is that Wiley and Underwood would also be under-capacity. Some of the current Conn base might be shifted to Wiley or Underwood. It is difficult to know since it will all depend on how the new lines for “community based schools” will be drawn.
What would happen to other elementary
schools inside the beltline?
Twelve of the fourteen schools would
be above the 40% poverty line, with four of them close to 90%. Only
Lacy and Olds would be below 40% (with Lacy at 39%). It is difficult
to see how there would be any place for magnet schools in this situation.
To create a magnet program, you must have space to house the students
you attract from other areas. Thus, you create magnet programs at schools
which would otherwise be severely under-enrolled, such as Wiley, Underwood,
and Partnership Primary, or you assign students away from schools which
would otherwise have a very high concentration of poverty, such as Washington,
Hunter, and Fuller. The economic diversity simply no longer would exist
to create sufficient integration for a magnet program.
What is the decision process from this point forward?
No major reassignments will be made
for the 2010-2011 school year. The school board has voted in support
of a resolution favoring community based assignments, but it will have
to be voted on a second time to be officially adopted. Changing Policy
6200, which governs student assignments, will also require votes at
two board meetings. Then the actual reassignments must be approved.
Finally, the County's share of the school system's budget is determined
by the County Commission.
What can you do?
*Attend and speak at school board meetings.
*Write letters to the N&O.
*Send e-mails to County Commissioners. (School board members have stopped
reading their e-mails.)
*Help educate fellow citizens about the value of equitable and integrated
schools.
*Join the “Great Schools in Wake Coalition,” the leading advocacy
group on this issue. By joining, you will receive updates and announcements
of events. Go to their web site at http://www.wakeupwakecounty.
*Join the Facebook group “Keep the Diversity Policy in Wake County,”
which was organized by students at Enloe High School.
*Talk to your friends in the national and local media and give them
good information.
*Work on campaigns of County Commission candidates who favor equitable
and integrated schools.
*Help your church or business or civic organization take a stand on
this issue.
*Participate in events held in support of our schools.
*Find your own creative ways to contribute to the discussion.
What has the economic diversity policy done for Wake County?
Wake County’s diversity policy has
earned us national acclaim. The quality of our schools has been one
of the chief reasons Wake County is on the top of the various “best
places to live” lists. This has brought us prosperity and jobs. Companies
and families want to relocate here because they know we have a well-educated
work force, and because they know they can live anywhere in the county
and attend good public schools.
The Wake County schools are a tremendous bargain. Despite our low spending,
our students consistently score among the highest in the state. Wake
County’s spending per pupil ranked 85th among the 115 school systems
in the state, but our 2009 SAT scores were the 4th highest among the
115 school systems. http://www.ncpublicschools.
Wake County Schools have the highest number of National Board Certified
teachers of any school system in the country. Our diversity policy has
contributed to the high quality of our faculty because teachers can
apply to Wake County Schools and know they will not have to spend their
first year teaching in a high-poverty school, with all its problems.
The Wake County schools have received $36 million in grants from the
Federal government for its magnet schools, including the 2007-2010 grant
of $8.5 million to SE Raleigh HS, Garner HS, and E. Garner MS. One of
the essential purposes of the grants is the “elimination, reduction
or prevention of minority group isolation.” Federal guidelines specify
that only schools with over 50% minority student population are eligible.
Upcoming grants could go to Brentwood ES, Smith ES, & Millbrook
HS.
Lessons from Mecklenburg County
The data nationwide and in North Carolina
supports that unless a school system makes a positive effort to integrate
schools, the schools will segregate along racial and economic lines.
The Mecklenburg school system abandoned its diversity policy eight years
ago, and already some schools there have 95% students from low-income
families. Many metropolitan areas have completely segregated schools
because they have been allowed to gradually segregate over many years.
Most busing is not for diversity. Even
though Mecklenburg County has abandoned busing for diversity, it spends
more on busing than Wake County: Last year Mecklenburg spent $52.5 million,
and Wake only spent $35.8 million. And Mecklenburg is a smaller county:
Mecklenburg is 526 square miles; Wake is 832 square miles. http://www.wakeupwakecounty.
Since Mecklenburg County has dismantled
its diversity policy, it has had to pump a lot of extra money into its
high-poverty schools to make up for their disadvantages. Last year Mecklenburg
spent overall $8,595 per student, while Wake only spent $8,117 per student.
That’s a difference of $478 per student. With 140,000 students, that
adds up to over $68 million! http://www.wakeupwakecounty.
Mecklenburg’s abandonment of its diversity policy has caused many
middle-class families to leave the public schools. This year’s enrollment
in Mecklenburg’s public schools is actually lower than last year’s,
and is now lower than enrollment in Wake’s public schools. However,
Mecklenburg has a much higher enrollment in its private schools than
Wake County: 33% higher. From ncpublicschools.org
Segregation is a gradual process. Charlotte-Mecklenburg abolished its
diversity policy eight years ago, and now has:
20 schools between 70 and 80% F&R
24 schools between 80 and 90% F&R
11 schools over 90% F&R