Acute Growth Continues
Wake County has become the fastest growing county in North Carolina, adding 22,000 people annually. The state demographer estimates that by 2015, the population will hit nearly 982,000 people, surpassing Mecklenburg County and making Wake the state’s largest county. Why are people moving here? Some of the draws include Wake’s close proximity to Research Triangle Park, three major universities, the beach and mountains; a fairly low unemployment rate; a lower cost of living compared to many other parts of the country; and a good climate. Another big draw is the Wake County Public School System. WCPSS has 61 Schools of Excellence and 43 Schools of Distinction, the second highest number of National Board Certified Teachers in the United States, and Wake students outperform the nation on the SAT by 47 points.
As the county continues to grow, so does the school system’s student population. WCPSS is expected to gain 7,000 new students next year, bringing total enrollment to 127,513. Wake has set a new record for growth each of the last three years, adding more than 16,000 students to the system since 2002. In fact, the district’s enrollment has doubled since 1985, with estimates showing Wake gaining 40,000 students in the next five years and 72,000 by 2015. This acute growth, on top of existing overcrowding and rising construction costs, means that Wake County schools are short 15,000 classroom seats today, and will need 58,000 seats by 2010 and 91,000 seats by 2015.
The schools system’s efforts to provide space for a growing student population have resulted in a substantial increase in temporary housing. WCPSS already has more than 1,000 temporary classrooms (with another 100 coming soon) and three modular “early start” campuses. Other strategies for adding classroom seats have included building new schools, opening ninth-grade centers, adapting existing buildings for schools, and gaining seats through the expansion of the multi-track year-round calendar. Additional funding for school construction and alternative funding options, such as public-private partnerships, are priorities on the Board of Education’s draft Legislative Agenda.
The school board and county commissioners are working together to find the most cost-effective way to finance the tremendous school growth needs. WCPSS has created several scenarios that could be spread over three bond referenda in a 10-year period, based on long-range planning guidelines agreed upon by both boards. County officials have said the three-year school construction bond referendum on the November 2006 ballot could be approximately $1 billion. This three-year plan, which both boards are continuing to refine, will provide desperately needed classroom seats and address top health and safety needs at existing schools.
Year |
WCPSS Student Population |
Increase |
Number of New Schools Opened |
2005 |
120,504 |
6,436 |
5 (Cedar Fork ES, River Oaks MS*, 3 schools started early at temporary modular campuses including Forest Pines ES, Harris Creek ES and Wakelon ES) |
2004 |
114,068 |
5,098 |
7 (Forestville Road ES, Highcroft Drive ES, Jones Dairy YR ES, Turner Creek YR ES, Heritage YR MS, Salem MS, Knightdale HS) |
2003 |
108,970 |
4,597 |
4 (Heritage YR ES, Holly Ridge ES, Holly Ridge MS, Reedy Creek MS) |
2002 |
104,373 |
2,976 |
3 (Ballentine ES, Moore Square MS, Middle Creek HS) |
2001 |
101,397 |
3,544 |
0** |
2000 |
97,853 |
2,835 |
7 (Green Hope ES, Middle Creek ES, Salem ES, Yates Mill ES, Centennial Campus MS, Wakefield MS, Wakefield HS) |
*Special/optional school
**No new schools opened due to the failure of the 1999 school bond referendum.