Wake schools upheaval rattles families

The families of a fifth of the students in the state's second-largest school district are grappling with new possibilities and familiar angst after a court ruling this week blocked a plan to send the students to mandatory year-round schools.

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. ruled Thursday that the district does not have the authority to force 30,000 students to attend school on a year-round schedule.

Those students' families, many already weary from a prolonged fight over the conversion of 22 schools to year-round schedules, reacted with shock, elation and anger. Days later, they all seemed to settle into a common fog of confusion.

"People are just tired of being so uncertain," said Nicola Mueller, president of the Parent Teacher Association at East Wake Middle School, which is slated to go year round. "They just want something definite."

The school district says the year-round conversions are needed to deal with growing enrollment. Wake CARES, a parent group, sued the district, claiming the policy violates the state constitution, and Manning agreed.

The school board responded to his ruling by giving parents what many say is an impossible choice: Stay at their assigned year-round school, or opt out and go to an undetermined school on a traditional calendar.

Parents posted thousands of comments on the plan at community and media Web sites, and considered their options at events across the county.

Mueller, like many parents, is delaying any decisions. Many think Manning might reject the school board's plan as lacking viable options for parents. Others don't want to change plans for vacations or day care based on the year-round calendar, fearing the ruling will be overturned. The Wake school board has appealed Manning's decision.

"I think people are doing their best to make their plans for their families, but everything keeps changing," Mueller said. "Come Monday, it may be different."

No one has escaped blame for the disruption -- the school board, Wake CARES, or Manning.

"It's a whole big mess," said Suzanne LaRocca, whose children are in kindergarten and second grade at Brassfield Elementary School in North Raleigh.

The school will open as a year-round school in July, and LaRocca has embraced the change. She blames the complaints of a few parents -- who she says appear to be newcomers to her home county -- for causing the chaos.

"The property taxes are low, and they love that when they move here, then they wonder why we can't build enough schools," LaRocca said.

LaRocca said she was "surprised and furious" over Manning's decision. And though she approves of the school board's plan to go forward with the conversions, she wonders whether Manning will allow it.

If he doesn't, she wonders what will happen to the $1,600 deposit she put down on an October Disney cruise. Her first family vacation in five years would then be smack in the middle of the school year.

"I don't know what Judge Manning is going to do," LaRocca said. "If you're going to block the conversion, then we're back to square one as far as where to put all the students."

In Apex, parents fret

At Apex's Peak Fest, attended by hundreds of young families Saturday, the year-round question weighed heavily on the minds of many parents -- the town is home to several schools on the conversion list.

Paul Kearns discussed it with neighbors while eating funnel cake and sipping lemonade. His daughters Amanda and Leanne, in third and second grade at Olive Chapel Elementary School, had been reassigned to year-round Turner Creek Elementary.