[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6632194,"mediaKeyId","2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599","parentId",2675436,"title","Wake County athletics growth strains staffing, facilities; district says expansion should wait until infrastructure improves","audioSeconds",1320,"startMs",456000,"endMs",1776000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599&start=456&end=1776","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599/thumbnail_456000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6632194/North-Carolina/Wake-County-athletics-growth-strains-staffing-facilities-district-says-expansion-should-wait-until-infrastructure-improves","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632194-9ab3a49addff05d33fc6c65926f5ca16/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175932&Signature=AP2lXB0wE09x4DL~ehgGeb9aH0nHapOpwYIael334LezF0c-MhvxY~kq09YOyP7dxeUiVJUJoRVfgKukZW3GGTphyv-BHjDj0keIM4~BrN2v46K243yAQjinjL6uw-dqohG0093VKkbwSqcTnlx59Nw3egL4XSAYwkrHO~tm~fS3h9RcESaMLEabzJUSuBwBHi3V2OTL7R8aqQ5WsRsbBSl7AFFXnaybDVfIXSPRrvgq14qG2Hhko~StgU45f65ab4-UjWRG0lWrN1907uxNFAxL7eSew6ME-u2myFHDaTpjkvmhCB02ZN5r05onvqDRGXD1vlGF7eReACaPlKCuxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wake County Schools","date","2025-03-18T21:17:16.19Z","article","The Wake County Board of Education on March 18 received a detailed briefing on the district’s high school athletics program that emphasized rapid student participation growth, widening operational demands on athletic directors, and limits to near-term expansion.

Darren Coe, district director of athletics, told the board the district’s high school athletic participation grew from about 10,997 students in 2003–04 to 21,396 in 2023–24, and that the average number of student athletes per high school rose from about 650 to about 860 (a 32% increase). Coe said the district currently offers 29 varsity sports and 12 designated junior varsity sports across its high schools and that 45 coaching supplements are identified per school, plus supplements for athletic directors and a small number of flex positions schools may apply locally.

“The increasing demand on athletic directors has expanded exponentially,” Coe said, describing eligibility monitoring, Title IX compliance, emergency action planning, contract management for facilities, and event staffing as part of the job now. He emphasized that central athletics is staffed by two people — himself and a senior administrator — and that many schools have converted local funds, booster support or flex positions to pay for assistant athletic directors. “With additional staffing, future expansion; without additional staffing, future expansion is not sustainable,” he said.

Coe reviewed sports the district has added in recent years and decades: lacrosse (introduced around 2010), official recognition of winter track and added JV volleyball and stunt (2014–15), establishment of Unified Track (2015) with 13 schools currently offering it, and women's wrestling (2023–24) and women’s flag football (2024). He said unified sports currently do not have a district coaching supplement in all schools and that the district aims to expand unified offerings once infrastructure exists.

Board members asked about how new sports are funded and whether outside grants can cover initial costs. Coe said individual schools may add programs if they can fund them locally and comply with Wake County and DPI policies; however, if a program becomes district-branded, the district must address Title IX proportionality and anticipate future supplement and oversight needs. He cautioned that one‑time grants can start programs but will not solve ongoing staffing, medical coverage, transportation and compliance responsibilities.

Risk manager Mr. Bell and other administrators addressed insurance and liability questions during a discussion about mountain‑biking (NICA) and other student clubs. Bell said the district’s liability and student-athlete injury coverage differs from general extracurricular coverage and that some club activities will be excluded by the district’s general liability carrier unless they are organized as an interscholastic athletic program covered by the district’s athletics insurance. He gave an example where a build‑and‑design activity was permitted but the insurer would not endorse on‑track racing under the club arrangement.

Other clarifications included coaching certification and training requirements (annual concussion training and NFHS fundamentals courses) and that assistant athletic directors are not universally funded; 16 of 25 high schools have converted local funds to payroll to support those roles. Coe and board members discussed facility maintenance pauses that have required schools to find local solutions for field upkeep.

Board members pressed on Title IX proportionality, which Coe summarized as a goal to have participation within 5 percentage points of gender enrollment. Coe said female participation rose from about 35.7% to 38.25% while female enrollment was about 48.5% in 2023–24; he said participation is expected to rise further with the addition of flag football.

The athletics office urged the board to consider a phased approach: first build central and school‑level staffing and supports (assistant AD funding, clerical capacity, medical staffing, facility maintenance), then pursue systematic expansion of unified and other sports rather than adopting new programs systemwide without the needed infrastructure.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-03-18 Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Wake County athletics officials told the Board of Education on March 18 that student participation has nearly doubled over two decades while central athletics staff remain two people, and that the district should not pursue system-wide expansion until staffing, facilities and medical coverage are secured.","taxTitle","Wake County Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",14083,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632198,"Wake County BOE keeps 2025–26 bell schedules unchanged; sets start times for four new schools",75,314000,389000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599&start=314&end=389","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599/thumbnail_314000.jpg","/articles/6632198/North-Carolina/Wake-County-BOE-keeps-202526-bell-schedules-unchanged-sets-start-times-for-four-new-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632198-39392ab05ac68635e30f0b5a06387a1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175932&Signature=TSYFbgn2IPbU4IdX6pmihfomgzhvZi5iR7bpVySAew1YD2S-tG8q0T1ZaSPWcb0pI7sZvwHyhC-eLTaTcGXsvTEP-fdXJcI3ovZ4vCcg-XWEq~g2CI8u9kOLcH5W381DMdYR8aTPHFwxfWHw~bCEg4OMjNh6eVuMCTT26vXI63hZEuBnrKUjJV3zNBqFgqP2ttn4vMywatAxqmBvin53JwwtgfKZKOn2~2XcY0HSy0i9BSISv~nbfOlphw4Xn6goM6tXecmXCmH~CR5QocW-bAklC6v7bq2DrDcgPtCacqDINxO7zqSqoC1cpFj5X~R9IXQ36Ek-fEM3QStzmEaeBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wake County Board of Education on March 18 heard staff recommendations to leave current bell schedules unchanged for the 2025–26 school year and to set standard bell times for four schools opening next year.

Snyder Miller, a district staff presenter, told the board that under Policy 3300 the board must establish school start and end times by April 1. Miller said staff recommended “no changes to the current bell schedules for our existing schools” and that the four new schools would be assigned the district’s standard bell times.

Under the recommendation, Bowling Road Elementary School, Pleasant Plains Elementary School and Rex Road Elementary School would operate from 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Felton High School (Felton Grove High School in planning materials) would be scheduled from 7:25 a.m. to 2:18 p.m. Miller noted the recommended schedules would appear on the board’s business meeting agenda that evening.

Board members asked no substantive follow-up questions during the work session, and Miller said he was available for questions. The presentation was framed as a staff recommendation for the upcoming meeting where the board will take any formal action required under Policy 3300.

The board has until April 1 to set district-wide start and end times; staff characterized this item as noncontroversial and anticipatory of the public business meeting later the same day.","The Wake County Board of Education received staff recommendations to keep existing bell schedules for 2025–26 and to assign standard start/end times for four new schools; the board did not change any existing schedules at the work session.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632189,"Wake County liaisons brief board on education bills: teacher pay, calendar flexibility, cell phone rules among priorities",365,4577000,4942000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599&start=4577&end=4942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2675436-ee930d17670059079f41e14494cbd599/thumbnail_4577000.jpg","/articles/6632189/North-Carolina/Wake-County-liaisons-brief-board-on-education-bills-teacher-pay-calendar-flexibility-cell-phone-rules-among-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632189-c3cb0e95a485ccbb3a11a79dcb3881cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175932&Signature=fT8RMAcndvm7CgW2~X61U-XeRxfEye0ozf9TmQrj3KmQX58xYGsq7WhGCIXr6DJTqHbkALuTQ65bdZr4m1j9fcI5smZx2TW1FEEoBKSojjYQuCsrML6VjnC99OidR5tnI1Iv4xsjjtlQ5-XP9rxnLANrhfKY5SDo92yOszBdDbEswhF5T7TGPSU2UvawOuCTlyoM7ZXUn1UI-jS7zE58WwHL6LpJKiGwydN55MEp4VXTJbLyVX-U9y7Izi~a~5pazRmdrW1Ne9J17Q6Bc3a1233X1t2YwXCblGHxiVcTbM7pjA6P~3d1KzzInv~CZNZYmm-EtKRYXmbEFkLzTf3qjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Contract lobbyists Caitlin Rothacker and Sarah Bales briefed the Wake County Board of Education on March 18 about the pace of business at the North Carolina General Assembly and several education bills the district is monitoring.

Rothacker and Bales said bill‑drafting and local introduction deadlines had passed and that the session was in a high‑activity phase: new stand‑alone bills are limited after the filing deadlines, but lawmakers can still amend existing bills, use proposed committee substitutes (PCS), or attach language to the budget. They warned that many bills evolve substantially during the process and urged board members to monitor amendments and budget activity closely.

Key items the liaisons highlighted included a House education funding bill led by appropriations leadership that would increase teacher pay (the bill text discussed by the presenters included recurring funding of about $1.597 billion) and included language on starting/continuing pay, master’s pay and board certification pay. The presenters said the House bill signaled a strong intent to act on teacher pay; the Senate is preparing its budget and may propose different approaches.

Rothacker and Bales also flagged a number of other priorities and proposals: bills to create calendar flexibility for local districts (multiple bills filed in both chambers), pilot programs and study language that would examine moving some allotments to local discretionary funding, school meals proposals including movement on universal breakfast and possible actions in the governor’s budget, cell phone policy bills under active consideration in both chambers that would encourage boards to adopt policies, and a House study bill examining the size and structure of larger LEAs.

Board members asked about the teacher pay bill’s price tag and how the proposal would be carried into a final budget. The liaisons said stand‑alone appropriations bills typically get folded into budget negotiations and that the exact funding source would be decided during the budget process; the governor’s proposed budget was expected the following day, which will shape available dollars.

Board members also asked whether the House or Senate bills on cell phones were favored; the presenters said conferees from both chambers were working behind the scenes and that final language may blend approaches. On LEA‑size study language, the liaisons recommended direct engagement with bill sponsors because Wake County is likely to be of interest.

Rothacker and Bales said the district is actively tracking about 40 bills and urged board members to raise policy priorities with district leadership so lobbyists can advocate position statements to members of the General Assembly.","Contract lobbyists for Wake County Public Schools updated the board on key education legislation at the North Carolina General Assembly, including a House teacher pay proposal (~$1.6 billion recurring), calendar flexibility bills, mobile phone policy legislation, and pilot proposals for funding flexibility.","actionData","errors"]

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Wake County athletics growth strains staffing, facilities; district says expansion should wait until infrastructure improves

Wake County BOE keeps 2025–26 bell schedules unchanged; sets start times for four new schools

Wake County liaisons brief board on education bills: teacher pay, calendar flexibility, cell phone rules among priorities