RALEIGH -- The agency that accredits Wake County's high schools is reviewing all of the major policy changes adopted by the new school board majority, including abandoning the socioeconomic diversity policy.
A special review team from AdvancED, the parent organization of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, will be in Raleigh soon to meet with school officials. They've asked Wake for a range of documents including:
* All policies adopted by the school board since the new majority took office Dec. 1.
* Who developed the new community-based assignment initiative and any studies and information used to support the change
* A description of the seat voucher policy now being used at school board meetings
* Copies of all records on proposed changes to the power and authority of the superintendent.
* Copies of any all contracts between the school system and the Civitas Institute, a conservative group appointed by the new board majority to be one of the groups that can provide board member training
* Copies of all all contracts between the school system and Thomas Farr, the Republican attorney hired by the board majority to be a special legal counsel and to audit the district's legal contracts
* Copies of information used to determine the financial impact of ending Wake's use of mandatory year-round schools
* Copies of all information on why the board majority abandoned construction of the Forest Ridge High site in northeast Raleigh.
The review was triggered by a complaint filed in March by the state NAACP, which alleges that the move to community schools will lead to resegregation.
