$285 Million to Avoid Year-round? There's More to the Story Than That...

Did you read the article in Wednesday's N&O entitled, "$285 Million to Avoid Year-Round?" That headline is a bit misleading. I attended the Committee of the Whole School Board meeting on Tuesday, where Chuck Dulaney went over a nine page handout that he had prepared on the subject. He stated that the information was in response to this question: "Should the assumption of opening all new schools as MYR be changed?" The report was extremely detailed and broken down into headings such as:

--The Cost of Returning to Voluntary Year Round by 2010
--Impact on the Next Five Year CIP

Two IMPORTANT points to note:

1) Dulaney defined the word voluntary to mean, "Year round as it was [in Wake County] in 2005" - meaning still some mandatory year-round
assignments. I think he said that, on average, 30-40% of the students in voluntary YR schools now are actually assigned to go there.
2) According to my notes, the report was based on the premise that a decision to go voluntary could not be made prior to 2010. Board member Carol Parker explained it to me as follows:

"#2. The report is based on increasing the number of schools to be built so that traditional schools could open instead of all new schools as assigned year round. These additional schools would then allow the 2005 year round model--with the new year round schools opening with seats available by application. It could not be implemented before 2010 school year providing the funding for the additional schools is available to start planning in 2007-2008 timeframe."

I will see if a link to the report is available. If not, you can contact the folks at WCPSS and request a copy.