4 Wake elementary schools will lose magnet status

CARY -- Four Wake County elementary schools are losing their magnet programs as they do not meet the school district's goals for reducing concentrations of impoverished students and maximizing school capacity.

The Wake school board voted to strip the magnet programs from Root, Olds, Lincoln Heights and Wake Forest elementary schools. No timeline was set as to when the magnets would lose their status. They will open as magnets during the 2007-08 school year.

In March, the school board outlined three objectives upon which magnet schools should be evaluated: reduce high concentrations of impoverished students and support diversity, maximize use of school facilities and provide more educational opportunities.

Administrators decided not to rate the schools under the third objective because all magnet students are exposed to a greater variety of specialized courses.

Started in 1982, the magnet program was intended to draw more affluent families to schools inside the Beltline to fill the schools. Magnet programs often are a draw because they offer students specialized classes in dance, foreign languages and arts that aren't offered elsewhere.

At Wednesday's work session, the board decided the four schools did not meet the first two objectives.

At each of the four schools, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches is below the county average of 33.8 percent.

"At some of the schools it seems kids leaving are going to schools with significantly lower [free and reduced-price lunch] populations," said school board member Lori Millberg. "And that makes me wonder if parents are looking for a magnet or a school with a lower F&R."

The board also decided that the four schools could be filled through the standard student reassigment process.

During Wednesday's work session, the board decided against converting Forestville Elementary School in Knightdale into a magnet school. The board had looked at creating a magnet program for the school to help keep students in the area and reduce the numbers of students from poor families.

The board also voted to allow magnet programs at Wendell and Zebulon elementary schools to accept applications. The schools are currently equity magnets, which do not require students to apply; student attend the schools by living in the schools' attendance area.

More magnet schools could face losing their designations. Because of time constraints, the board tabled conversations on the four middle schools and two high schools that were on the last week's list for further review. No date was set Wednesday afternoon to continue discussion.

Board members directed staff to report back at a later date what the phasing-out process would be. No decision has been made on which nonmagnet schools could get magnet programs.

"This will be done over a period of time, so parents who are involved will not have this pulled out from under them," said school board member Susan Parry.

Prior to Wednesday's discussion, school board member Beverley Clark said she had been asked in the community why the board was evaluating its magnet programs now given the current contentious debate over the district's year-round calendar.

Millberg agreed.

"It's been advised by everyone that we need to improve our relationships with the community and heal those fractured relationships," she said. "So many of our magnet parents have been the heart of our support."

But the board decided to proceed with the evaluations.

"No one wants the voluminous e-mails, but we can't ignore the data," said board member Carol Parker.