‘Leave our kids alone.’ Wake parents speak out against student reassignment plan.
Wake County parents complained Tuesday that the new student assignment plan will force families to change calendars and split some households at both year-round and traditional-calendar schools.
Earlier this month, school administrators released the first draft of a plan that moves students out of 21 schools for the 2024-25 school year. Citing the need to reduce crowding at several schools, the plan has some families changing school calendars and being on different calendars for elementary and middle schools.
“Before we uproot thousands of students, it’s time to look at it from a strategic perspective and not on a two-year to three-year basis,” said Jennifer Therrien, a Kitts Creek resident whose family could be moved to Pleasant Grove Elementary.
Speakers are hoping their lobbying can lead to changes when the second draft of the plan is presented on Oct. 17.
Before public comment, school board vice chair Chris Heagarty said they have no choice but to move students when campuses get too crowded. But he said families have raised many legitimate concerns about the plan, especially when it comes to the calendar changes.
“We know that reassignment is disruptive, and we know that it has an impact on families,” said Heagarty, whose northwestern Wake district is heavily impacted by the plan.
View the assignment plan
The public can view the plan at wcpss.net/2024enrollmentproposal. People can search whether their address is affected at osageo.wcpss.net/enrollment-proposal-2425-draft1.
People can provide feedback at an online forum (wcpss.net/draft1feedback). School officials regularly say they use the feedback to help make changes for a second draft, which will be released Oct. 17.
Under the proposed timeline, the school board will hold a public hearing Nov. 8, with a final vote scheduled for Nov. 21.
‘Stop tossing them around like footballs’
The largest contingent for Tuesday’s public comment session were from the Kitts Creek and Providence Place communities that would be reassigned to Pleasant Grove Elementary in Morrisville.
The draft plan calls for moving a large portion of the neighborhoods assigned to Pleasant Grove Elementary to fill the empty seats at Brier Creek and Leesville Road elementary schools in northwest Raleigh.
This in turn would let Wake relieve overcrowding at Alston Ridge Elementary in Cary and Parkside Elementary in Morrisville by moving Kitts Creek and Providence Place to Pleasant Grove. Both Alston Ridge and Parkside are on a year-round calendar, while Pleasant Grove is on a traditional calendar.
“Stop tossing them around like footballs,” said Matt Arnold, a Providence Place resident whose children attend Parkside Elementary. “Wake County, leave our kids alone.”
Arnold said that the change throws into chaos the summer plans for families. This will be a burden as well for families who would attend a year-round middle school in addition to a traditional-calendar elementary school.
Impact on immigrant families
Several South Asian families spoke out against the move to Pleasant Grove Elementary.
Prathibha Ayyappan of the Kitts Creek community said the plan will result in her having both children on two different calendars next year. Ayyappan said her situation is not unique and will impact many immigrant families.
“It will cause stress for our immigrant family because we don’t have local support,” said Ayyappan.
Purvi Patel, a Providence Place resident, said the move will affect the mental well-being of students who’ve already been impacted by the COVID-19 disruptions.
“Don’t disturb the kids’ safe environment,” Patel said. “Half of their time is at school. It’s their second home Don’t disturb them.”
Stability transfers
Once the plan is approved, Wake will open a “stability transfer period,” or what used to be called “grandfathering.” This is an option that allows some students who are being moved to stay at their current school in exchange for losing bus service.
The proposed stability rules will vary depending on what school a student is trying to avoid attending next year.
▪ Rising fourth- and fifth-grade students being reassigned to Woods Creek Elementary can stay at their current elementary school if they provide their own transportation. In addition, their younger siblings will be able to stay with them at their current school.
▪ The proposed Woods Creek transfer rules would also apply to students who are being reassigned into or out of Pleasant Grove Elementary.
▪ Excluding Woods Creek and Pleasant Grove, all other students who are being reassigned can stay at their current school if they provide their own transportation. Rising kindergarten, sixth-grade and ninth-grade students can also request to stay with their sibling to avoid being reassigned.
