With so many options, schools are wooing Wake families as application deadlines near
The Wake County school system is facing competition from charter schools, private schools and homeschooling for the more than 200,000 K-12 students who live in the area.
Application season is underway for the 2020-21 school year for Wake County magnet schools and many charter schools and private schools. With application deadlines for some options coming on Jan. 30, families are weighing their choices as schools woo them with open houses and tours designed to promote their best features.
“Students are like pieces of gold,” said David Moore, a Raleigh parent looking at several magnet school options. “Everybody wants them.”
For many years, the Wake County school system was the overwhelming choice, educating more than 90% of the county’s school-age children. But with the advent of homeschooling, charter schools and taxpayer funded vouchers for private schools, the school district’s share of the county’s students was down to 78% last school year.
The school district ramped up efforts this year to promote magnet schools, which are its main venue of providing choice. Magnet schools offer unique programs to attract applicants to help fill and diversify schools that otherwise would have high concentrations of low-income students.
Wake County’s magnet schools
Wake opened the magnet school period months earlier than normal in October. The district also moved the magnet school fair, which historically is held at Southeast Raleigh High School, to Panther Creek High School in Cary.
“Parents in Wake County have always had choice,” said Wade Martin, Wake’s assistant superintendent for school choice, planning and assignment. “Our focus is on ensuring Wake County families know the choices that we offer.
“With the magnet schools we have, that’s not a hard hob. It’s an award-winning program.”
Wake has increased the number of magnet mini-fairs held at schools. Magnet schools like Washington Elementary near downtown Raleigh have been holding regular tours for prospective parents.
“We’re fortunate in Wake County that we’ve got a lot of great options,” Bob Grant, Washington’s principal, told parents at a tour this month. “You have to think at any given time what’s the best fit for my kid to help them grow and succeed.”
Washington is one of Wake’s most popular magnet schools because of its extensive number of academic and arts electives that are part of its gifted and talented theme. Grant tried to help parents set realistic expectations, telling them that around 25% of kindergarten applicants are accepted.
Chances vary for getting into magnet schools
It’s even more difficult for some families to get in because most Wake magnet schools give selection priority to applicants from affluent areas. Only 10% of Wake magnet seats are filled by random lottery.
David Schafermeyer was among the parents whose hopes of getting into Washington Elementary dimmed when they found out they were at the bottom of the selection priorities.
“We’ll do our best and hopefully when I tour the base (Yates Mill Elementary), it’s fairly decent and I’ll feel fairly good if we don’t get into the magnets,” he said.
Overall, 57% of the 5,800 applicants for a Wake magnet school were accepted this school year. Acceptance rates varied widely across schools.
“It is our intention to be the best and first choice for all Wake County families,” Martin said.
But increasingly, options other than the Wake school system have been viewed by some families as being a better choice.
Charter schools increase in popularity
Charter school enrollment has doubled among Wake County students since the General Assembly lifted the state cap on charters in 2011. Charter schools are taxpayer funded schools that are independent of the school districts they’re located in.
Charter schools hold a lottery when they have more applicants than available seats. The selection is usually random but some charters give priority to low-income applicants.
Six new charter schools had received state approval to open this year despite the objections of Wake school leaders. But issues finding locations will delay some schools.
Wake Preparatory Academy and North Raleigh Charter Academy say they will ask the state for a one-year delay. Leaders of Doral Academy North Carolina also are considering a one-year delay as they look for a location in the Garner area.
“It’s tough to find the right location and finding a location in an area where there is a need,” said Douglas Rodriguez, a member of the board of directors of Doral.
Kaleidoscope Charter High School in Morrisville wants to open this year but is still trying to confirm a location.
CE Academy and Cardinal Charter Academy at Wendell Falls say they are still opening this year. Charter Schools USA, the company that will manage Cardinal, says it already hit the enrollment target for the school.
Jeremy Wheless of Zebulon was among the parents who packed a recent community meeting held for Cardinal. Wheless is looking at several different options, both charter schools and in the school system, to send his daughter to kindergarten this fall. But Cardinal Charter is at the top of his wish list.
‘I like that it’s new,” Wheless said. “It’s fresh teachers. Everyone will be excited.”
One of the reasons that charter school enrollment has grown is that some families aren’t happy with their options in the school district.
Anne Gibson says she likes Lake Myra Elementary School, where her two children now attend. But Gibson isn’t a fan of the school’s year-round calendar or of East Wake Middle School, where her kids are slated to go in a few years.
The school system is renaming East Wake Middle as part of an effort to rebrand the school.
“It’s hard to juggle the school schedule to find time to visit my family,” Gibson said as she waited to attend the information session for Cardinal Charter. “I’m also not impressed by the middle schools around here.”
School options for Wake County families
The application period for Wake County magnet schools and year-round schools ends Jan. 30. Go to https://www.wcpss.net/Page/189 to submit an application.
Go to https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/innovative-school-options/charter-schools/schools for a list of charter schools. Students can attend charter schools outside the county they live in.
Go to https://ncadmin.nc.gov/about-doa/divisions/division-non-public-education for information on private schools and homeschooling.
