Parents in tow

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Troubled student program in doubt

Hundreds of Wake County students who get suspended for engaging in serious fights or other trouble face not having any school to attend this fall.

In an effort to save $1.2 million in an austerity budget for the next school year, Wake school administrators are recommending eliminating a program that allows students who are suspended for the rest of the school year to go to alternative programs to take classes. These long-term suspended students would be given the option of taking online courses to keep pace with their classes.

"We're still meeting the requirements of state law," said Wake Superintendent Del Burns of the proposed changes. "It's a very difficult time."

Reaping and sowing

I learned something shocking: Students who get into trouble at school and get suspended may get into trouble with the law! Well, duh. I am a teacher and a parent, and I don't like to see any child fail. But I was taught: You reap what you sow.

Wake County might have to cut funding for a "troubled student" program to save money in this austere economic climate, and some are bothered by that, as maybe they should be. However, if programs for students who are not "troubled" are being cut, why should those who get suspended get a larger share of the resources (per student) than those who don't get into trouble?

Some say it will lead to more teens going to jail. Jail is for lawbreakers; school is for students. If some decide by their behavior that school is not for them, and they get into trouble elsewhere, it's not the school's fault or burden to correct.

Budget cuts spell end for Milburn

Students walked across the stage at a Richard Milburn High School graduation for the last time Wednesday night.

The final graduating class for the alternative school comprised eight seniors from six Wake County schools. Milburn served students for 11 years.

The school is the largest of several alternative programs in Wake that offered classes to students suspended from regular schools for the school year. Operated by a private vendor contracted by the Wake County Public School System, Milburn High School served an average of about 165 students a year and more than 200 in 2008-2009.

7 hope to fill school board seat

A former Broughton High School principal, Diane Payne, became the seventh and final applicant Thursday hoping to fill a vacancy on the Wake County school board.

In her application, Payne stressed her lengthy career as an educator, including nearly 13 years as principal of Broughton. She retired in 2005. Payne wants to fill the District 6 Central Raleigh seat that became open when Beverley Clark resigned this month.

"If selected, I will bring both my varied background and my student-focused perspective to the Board and in so doing hope to do my part to achieve the Board's [100 percent graduation] Goal," Payne wrote in her application.

A chance to build on schools' stability

Thanks to a decision made this February, Wake County parents know now where their students will be going to school for at least the next three years. The long-term school assignment plan approved in the early spring provides a welcome respite from the stress of annual adjustments to school boundaries.

Stability has been one of several important goals for the student assignment process ever since the Wake County Board of Education adopted a policy dedicated to maintaining healthy schools. I served on the school board for eight years, during a period of extremely rapid population growth. In that time I saw our schools grow by more than 35,000 students. (Think nearly 50 elementary schools, or 20 high schools...)

Stability was a great challenge in that environment. The school board engaged annually in a process intended to address often competing interests; crowding, the efficient use of space, sound infrastructure, school demographics, and stable and predictable assignments. These factors deserve careful