Don’t like Wake’s student assignment plan? Here are some alternatives on the table.

Wake County school board members are weighing changes to a plan to move thousands of students to different schools next year after parents offered their own alternatives to the proposal.

Student assignment staff laid out Tuesday different proposals suggested by parents for making changes to the 2019-20 student enrollment plan that would particularly affect families in western Wake. School board members will give their opinions of the options in writing to staff before a revised version of the plan is presented Oct. 30.

Parents can learn about the plan and provide public comment at wcpss.net/enrollmentproposal. The board plans to hold a public hearing Nov. 7 with a vote Nov. 20.

School board members and staff blamed many of the moves on the need to meet state requirements for smaller class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.

Here are some of the options that were presented Tuesday:

Parkside Elementary

Staff want to open Parkside Elementary School in Morrisville on a multi-track year-round calendar because that schedule can hold more students than a traditional calendar. Staff say the school would be at 148 percent crowding if it uses a traditional calendar.

If Parkside opens on a traditional calendar, options are to reassign additional students to reduce crowding, send part of the school’s proposed attendance area to a more distant school or open at 148 percent crowding, which staff say isn’t feasible.

If Parkside opens on a year-round calendar, Wake can offer Powell Elementary in Raleigh or Pleasant Grove Elementary in Cary, or both schools, as options for families who want to stay on a traditional calendar. Seats aren’t available yet at closer traditional-calendar schools, according to staff.

Cameron Pond

Staff want to move the Cameron Pond community in Cary out of Mills Park elementary and middle schools because they say those two Cary schools are overcrowded.

Alternatives are to let Cameron Pond stay with no other changes or to let the community remain but move some other students out to reduce crowding. Another option is to revise the “grandfathering rules” that allow families who are moved to stay at their current school if they provide their own transportation.

Alston Ridge Middle School

Staff recommend opening Alston Ridge Middle in Cary on a multi-track year-round calendar.

An alternative is to open Alston Ridge on a traditional calendar, which would put the crowding rate at a projected 114 percent. Staff say they’d have to recommend moving additional students to reduce crowding.

Davis Drive Middle to East Cary Middle

Staff want to move students from Davis Drive Middle in Cary to help fill East Cary Middle and improve the latter school’s test scores.

Alternatives are to move additional areas from Mills Park Middle to Davis Drive Middle or to East Cary Middle, consider letting some neighborhoods return to Davis Drive Middle or revise grandfathering rules.

In a related move, staff recommends keeping Adams Elementary on a year-round calendar. An alternative is to convert Adams to a a traditional calendar like what’s being recommended for East Cary Middle.

Reedy Creek Middle

Staff want to move students from Reedy Creek Middle School in Cary to East Cary and West Cary middle schools. It would open up magnet school seats at Reedy Creek and help fill East Cary.

Alternatives are to not move any Reedy Creek students to East Cary, assign some of the neighborhoods back to Reedy Creek and to revise the grandfathering rules.

Grandfathering rules

Staff is recommending for elementary and middle schools that only rising fifth- and eighth-graders be allowed to grandfather at the current school if their neighborhood is moved next year. Their younger siblings could stay with them at the current school for one year.

An alternative is to expand grandfathering for students who are being reassigned to an existing school to including rising fourth- and seventh-graders. This option would also allow younger siblings to stay for two years.

Another option is to allow all students to grandfather if they’re being moved to an existing school.

This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 8:10 PM.