New school year, new bumps ahead

Districts brace for batch of challenges

Burgeoning student rolls, plummeting test scores, upset parents and painful classroom changes.

The school year is new, but many of the issues it presents for districts are hardy perennials.

Thousands of youngsters across the Triangle don their backpacks for the first day of school today. For their parents, who might wonder what the coming months will bring, we offer a district-by-district preview of the issues school officials will face as the year progresses.

WAKE COUNTY

SLOWER GROWTH? The school system is dealing with growth, but just how much is in question. It looks as if Wake's rate of growth may be slowing to below 6,000 students a year, down from earlier projections that called for 6,400 to 8,000 new students a year. This could provide some relief to already crowded schools.

FUTURE BOND ISSUE: The battle over an expected school construction bond issue should soon heat up. The school district is looking at asking for a bond issue, potentially about $1 billion, to be put on the ballot on the spring. Supporters would have to deal with critics who don't want to raise taxes and those upset over Wake's having converted 22 schools to a year-round calendar in 2007.

YEAR-ROUNDS IN COURT: The year-round school fight could wrap up soon or drag out for another long year. The state Supreme Court could announce this week a decision on hearing a lawsuit over whether Wake can assign students to year-round schools without parental consent. The high court has stayed an appellate decision that said consent was not needed.

CURRICULUM OVERHAUL: The school district soon may implement the more wide-ranging recommendations from an outside consultant who called for overhauling the curriculum. The school district was challenged to provide more resources to high-poverty schools and curtail the authority principals have to make decisions for their schools.

DURHAM COUNTY

CREEKSIDE CROWDING: As expected, the rapidly growing southern part of the county will see much of this year's enrollment growth. The district is expecting about 600 new students, 140 of whom will attend Creekside Elementary School in southwest Durham. This will put the four-year-old school at roughly 1,000 students, with eight new trailers housing some of the overflow.

OPTING OUT: A dozen elementary schools in Durham that receive federal Title I money didn't make adequate yearly progress; they are required to offer students the option to transfer. Parents of more than 180 students -- fewer than 2 percent of those eligible for transfers -- requested them. More than 140 of those students will end up at Little River Elementary School, putting it about 45 students over its capacity. Another 40 students asked to transfer to Mangum Elementary, putting it over its building capacity by 136 students.

MIDYEAR MOVE: Spring Valley Elementary School won't be ready until January, so students set to attend the new school on Northern Durham Parkway will begin the year at Oak Grove Elementary School. When they move into the new school, they'll keep the same classes, teachers and principal.

JOHNSTON COUNTY

CROWDING GROWS UP: After years of building elementary and middle schools, Johnston is seeking relief for its crowded high schools. New high schools in the Archer Lodge and Cleveland communities are expected to open in 2010, but the district is awaiting county commissioners' approval of a $30 million loan needed to keep the Cleveland project on schedule. The school will ease crowding at West Johnston High, expected to be the district's most crowded school this year.