Wake County schools have devoted more than 800 hours in staff time responding to challenges to the system based on public access concerns and accusations of racial discrimination, school board members heard at a work session this week.
In addition, the system has spent $38,589 on security at school board meetings since new leadership took office in December 2009.
During a question-and-answer session, system security officials said the dollar amount spent on meeting security was higher than in past years, but they could not immediately say how much more.
Both sets of figures came in response to questions from board member Chris Malone. No dollar figure was provided for the hours described as devoted to an open meetings law suit, to the AdvancED accreditation investigation and to the review by the federal education department's Office for Civil Rights.
"Determining staff time devoted to each of these cases is difficult due to the complexity of gathering information, the number of staff members involved, and overlap with other areas including regular assigned duties," the staff report said.
According to a rough estimate, staff spent:
42 hours on the lawsuit, which involved a parent's charge that the system failed to comply with the state's open meetings law. The state Court of Appeals recently upheld a ruling that the board did operate in contravention of the law but not to the degree that would require taking back actions voted for while access was limited.
173.5 hours supplying information for an investigation by AdvancED, the Georgia-based nonprofit that has accredited Wake and Raleigh schools for decades.
592.2 hours to the federal civil rights probe, months of investigation sparked by a complaint by the Rev. William Barber. None of the cases is completely closed.
School board may rejoin
In an unexpected development this week, school board members also discussed rejoining the N.C. School Board Association, from which the board disaffiliated in June. SuperintendentTony Tata and Vice Chairwoman Debra Goldman spoke in favor of rejoining the body because of the access it gives Wake County schools to training, policies and lobbying at the state level.
Suddenly, bus ads look good
The economy has Chapel Hill looking at putting ads in and on town buses. The move could generate $200,000 next fiscal year and up to $450,000 in future years, according to a staff report.
The council rejected ads in 2001 and 2005 because a majority felt ads on buses could get tacky. But that was then. Chapel Hill Transit Director Steve Spade says wrapping a single bus with an ad could generate $18,000 a year.
Not so fast, said council member Laurin Easthom. Wraps cover the whole bus, even some windows, and while Spade says the town likely would wrap only a dozen or so of its 98 buses, Easthom said that would be a mistake. Chapel Hill Transit's distinctive blue buses are a trademark, telling everyone the buses in this Carolina college town are free.
"I'm sure there are some cool bus wraps," Easthom said. "But if you're really talking about destroying the blue buses, that's what that wrap does."
Political trails
The Democratic Women of Wake County will hold the 42nd annual Jefferson-Jackson Breakfast today at Embassy Suites in Cary. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the program starts at 9. A limited number of tickets will be available for $40 at the door. For more information, send email to JJbreakfasttickets@gmail.com.
Frank Perry, director of investigations and public affairs at the Foundation for Ethics in Public Service, will speak to the Republican Women of Cary and Southwestern Wake on Thursday. The lunch meeting begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by the program at noon at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. The cost is $15. RSVP to Victoria at 363-9574. For more information, go to www.rwcsw.org.
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will speak to the Wake Democratic Men's Club on May 9 at the Clarion Hotel in Raleigh. Registration starts at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30. Dinner is $17 for members, first-time guests and those not eligible for club membership, and $20 fornonmembers. RSVP to wakedemmen@wakedems.org or by phone, 828-5656, no later than 10 a.m. May 9.
Compiled by staff writers Thomas Goldsmith and Mark Schultz
