EDUCATION

APEX HIGH SCHOOL. PHOTO COURTESY OF WCPSS.

BY LIBBY TAYLOR

School choice in Wake County can be daunting. If you’re like me, you grew up going to the school in your neighborhood and there were no magnet schools, year-round calendar options or charter schools. These days, the options are vast. In a lot of ways, this is a blessing for families who don’t find their base school to be a great fit; however, it can be time consuming and difficult to navigate all of the alternatives.

Taking into account all the area has to offer will help you make the right decision for your family. Taking a macro view of the schools in our area, coupled with practical suggestions, will help you tackle your family’s school search.

WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Like most other districts, each address in Wake County has an assigned base school as part of the Wake County Public School System. Residents can attend their base school simply by registering at that school. If you are a new family who has just moved into the area, you may have to contend with enrollment caps. This is done to intentionally place the burden of overcrowding on new families, rather than massive redistricting for families who are already living here. If you are new to the area and you purchase a home in a capped school zone, you will be provided transportation to an overflow school. You can call your student’s base school and find out this information ahead of time. All capped schools are listed at wcpss.net.

A new cap on WCPSS class size for kindergarten through third grade that began with the 2018–19 school year (with some deadline flexibility built in to phase in these new requirements), allows no more than 21 students in each kindergarten class, no more

than 19 in each first grade class, and no more than 20 in each second- and third-grade class. Older students have access to a vast array of elective opportunities, experienced teachers, enrichment programs and accommodations for special education. Each school is unique, so make sure you tour your base school along with any others you are considering. Some follow a year-round calendar and some follow a traditional nine-month calendar.

PRO TIP: If you don’t like the calendar at your assigned base school you can apply for admission to the alternative calendar school. Learn more about your calendar options by using the WCPSS address lookup tool.

WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Wake County has a nationally recognized magnet school system. Magnet schools are public schools and part of WCPSS, but have specialized themes that attract students from outside their base zone. These themes include leadership, creative arts, language immersion programs, entrepreneurial design and more. Magnet school applications are submitted in the fall and winter for entrance during the following academic year. Magnet schools follow the same curriculum and state standards guiding public schools, but may have varying instructional models depending on their theme.

PRO TIP: Magnet applications are based on priority status. Visit the magnet web page on the WCPSS website to understand your priority ranking. If you are trying to attend a popular magnet school you may need to qualify as a high priority to increase your chance of being selected.

WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Charter schools are public schools that are not part of WCPSS, but are run by independent boards. They are approved by a state charter advisory board, follow state educational guidelines and are tuition-free for students. Because charter schools are run independently, however, they may operate differently from WCPSS. Some span additional grade levels—such as kindergarten through eighth grade—and require uniforms or even parent volunteer hours. Admission into a charter school is determined by a general lottery (random selection), typically between December and March; timeframes vary by school. A charter school’s performance grade can be found alongside other public schools on the School Report Cards website published by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

PRO TIP: You can apply to multiple charter schools and magnet schools at the same time. Charter schools will give you the opportunity to accept or decline your seat.

SCHOOLS IN WAKE COUNTY If public school options are not meeting your needs, Wake County also offers many private school choices. Private schools are tuition-based and are run independently. You can choose from a wide range of parochial, or religious-based schools as well as independent schools. The tuition for some of these schools starts at as low $5,000 a year.

The admissions process at a competitive private school often starts in the fall and can include testing, interviews, recommendation letters and more. Each school has its own unique admissions process, so be sure to prepare by visiting the school’s website before getting started.

LAUREL PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN APEX. PHOTO COURTESY OF WCPSS.

PRO TIP: If you know you want to attend kindergarten at a popular private school, consider applying for your child to attend the school’s preschool program to increase your chances of getting a kindergarten seat. Seats are typically filled by spring, so start the process early.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Although deciding which school your child should attend can be overwhelming, there are many tools at your disposal. Before you begin looking, sit down as a family and identify what is most important to all of you in a school environment. Is it location and proximity to home? Is it special programing, like foreign languages or music? Maybe it’s a particular instructional model that you like?

Once you know where you want to explore further, gather together important information like application and transfer request deadlines, tour schedules, and course and extracurricular offerings. So much information is available now online, but touring a school in person is still the best way to decide if it works for your family. You may find several schools that could be a good fit, so don’t be afraid to follow your instincts if you think you have found the one!

Libby Taylor owns and operates SchoolUp. She has over 12 years of experience in education, both as a teacher in WCPSS and Durham County, and as a professional development coordinator for teachers across the country.

BY LIBBY TAYLOR

Change can be hard, but schools are fluid organizations and are constantly changing. Sometimes a school you picked many years ago no longer fits what your family needs today. I have noticed that the pandemic caused many parents to take a much deeper look into their children’s educational needs. Whether it was listening into virtual classes, talking to other parents or noticing communication patterns, many parents began observing their child’s current school from a different perspective. Parents are more involved in what and how their kids are learning.

If your family’s needs have changed, it might be time to consider a school change as well. Always be sure you have communicated with teachers and administrators in an honest and open way to resolve conflicts before setting your sights on a new school. And make sure the issues can be solved by a new environment and are not something that will continue elsewhere. Here are a few basic guidelines to consider that can help you decide when it’s time to move on.

• Your child is noticeably anxious before school, or refuses to go to school. • Your gut is telling you that your child isn’t thriving. • Your child isn’t making adequate academic progress. • The academic courses or electives your child needs are not offered (international baccalaureate, orchestra, French, advanced math, etc.). • Your child’s school does not offer the academic services your child needs to succeed. • Open communication isn’t happening or consistently leaves you feeling frustrated. • A change in your family’s situation makes transportation or other logistics difficult. • New programing does not align with your family’s values.