[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6537025,"mediaKeyId","3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626","parentId",3642444,"title","Board reviews draft changes to student device policy after principals report fewer incidents with restricted use","audioSeconds",3461,"startMs",8410000,"endMs",11871000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626&start=8410&end=11871","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626/thumbnail_8410000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6537025/North-Carolina/Board-reviews-draft-changes-to-student-device-policy-after-principals-report-fewer-incidents-with-restricted-use","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537025-a86cf0ae8eb13607751676a2e1d9ad60/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064733&Signature=oTs1ksEuLYYeQsmjMIFC8Bqq5hW3UeM~5Hv3hmANRjTSCeOn5mLjJnIxMtQ8Quhi7cq6zxNcqeB3ixyXjjMGeRuJyW86wi6AKwizcbg26xxpwVT8KJSc9tb~riL-wwCoZhfKVN85o8EKdiLj8NP-b9PqzEEU8hOly5wolIr7B2H3SH5nYwD4yXqIN-s7aYqWnb4-gn8PcB8FEK1MPkzGqc28wwB1A8ZTmkR~5ixbkob9Q22rIbmKmWVqvtXdIZDihyYA2ml8wjLBOHitmA7mExirHmxWa5Otth-ey9cxM3-xCDUUR8K2dsej-gIEpysYbtbO2Pl7a1fuEGwbZr5mFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wake County Schools","date","2025-06-03T21:54:50Z","article","The Wake County Board of Education reviewed proposed edits to district Policy 43.18 on student use of personal electronic devices after principals and staff described how school-level rules affect instruction and student behavior.

District leaders said policy committee edits reflect feedback from principals, teacher surveys and legal counsel. School principals from elementary, middle and high schools described their on‑campus practices: elementary principals said phones are typically kept in backpacks and handled with escalating consequences (teacher warning, office involvement, parent retrieval after repeated offenses); middle‑school principals reported a book‑bag‑in policy and a parental pick‑up requirement on repeat offenses; and a high‑school principal described a classroom “red/green” card system that lets teachers restrict phone visibility during direct instruction while permitting limited use for supervised instructional tasks.

Dr. Chris McMillan (district staff) summarized a teacher survey of roughly 2,500 respondents: about 85–91% of teachers said devices should be turned off during instructional time; teachers indicated arrival/dismissal access varies by grade (elementary teachers less likely to favor device use at arrival/dismissal compared with high‑school teachers); and roughly 57–70% of teachers supported confiscation as an option even while many said confiscation is disruptive in class. That mix illustrated both the discipline challenges and the broad teacher preference for limiting devices during instruction.

Legal counsel reviewed recommended edits and asked staff to clarify language for two related points: whether district policy should explicitly allow teachers to authorize device use for instruction, and whether the policy should permit schools to create additional school‑level restrictions. Counsel noted similar language in pending state bills that would require a district wireless‑device policy to allow teacher‑authorized instructional use; staff asked the board whether they preferred to retain explicit teacher‑authorization language for elementary and middle schools or to leave the provision available only as a district/school‑level policy.

Board discussion focused on consistency across schools, the pending state legislation and how the board wants to balance districtwide rules with school‑level flexibility. Several board members said they favored a consistent districtwide approach for K–8 schools given principals’ reports that current school‑level practices are working and to avoid creating “199 islands” of different rules by school.

Next steps: staff circulated a redlined version of the policy that incorporates attorney recommendations and highlighted two sections for board attention. Staff said they will upload the revised draft, and the policy will return to the board later this month for consideration and a possible vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-06-03 Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The board reviewed a revised district policy on personal electronic devices after principals and teachers described classroom protocols and a teacher survey showed broad support for limiting device use during instruction; staff will bring a redlined draft for board action.","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},6537030,"Wake County school nutrition warns reserves low; staff proposes options including modest meal-price increases",2828,5474000,8302000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626&start=5474&end=8302","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626/thumbnail_5474000.jpg","/articles/6537030/North-Carolina/Wake-County-school-nutrition-warns-reserves-low-staff-proposes-options-including-modest-meal-price-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537030-e10cd9ae08de8aa04928248c24b3ceed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064733&Signature=GFPFunIVEUP9EbTucCM9SKtPraH6c6-PuKe3AnbNR3Ofc75ojo5c24xDo6h4ctelruK2crGIQuvfbwlbAxH770~q1grAsLP50rH40URlQ1fexSM6Mjj0XYfZRc-zNAVeF4km9DePTa-nJVGyb6fBFnWFkkWXgBkJqGuzs8g3iPt6zLfduT9a5xheOrPP9RK3EpmV1TBs4Mv0P1w5S0ILylYT4yQ35asqAnsfo8muUUnLzgmBRSwG45qIjTnv9tgDa8CsoC4C52MWY8OUHQQMDbkgJHiDpRuvjsIgGRRuVl6K19bXJkHM9cz~hU-tHRH1~Gb7ZgLzzhRWU-xl6SryRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wake County school nutrition officials told the Board of Education that the district’s school-meal program is an enterprise fund facing rising food and labor costs and declining participation, and that the program’s fund balance is at levels that require action to maintain operations.

Tiffany Lawrence, the district’s senior director of child nutrition services, said the program serves about 20,000 breakfasts and more than 50,000 lunches daily across roughly 99 schools, and that year‑to‑date federal reimbursements total about $35 million. Lawrence said the program’s emergency cash reserve is about $9 million while monthly operating needs are comparable to roughly $7.8 million, leaving only about one month of reserves if current trends continue.

Lawrence detailed cost pressures: rising supplier case charges, growing hourly wages and benefit costs, and supply‑chain expenses that have increased per‑case delivery charges. She said recent procurement bids showed per‑case delivery fees increasing from roughly $2.70 to about $3.50 in some lines, and that benefit costs for a manager have risen from about $13,000 to $19,000 over several years.

To plug gaps the staff presented a menu of options: modest per‑meal price increases (examples ranged from a $0.25 increase to $1.00 per meal with estimated revenue impacts), expanded “Smart Snacks” sales in schools, targeted outreach to expand free/reduced eligibility capture, and central‑office steps to reduce food and inventory waste and increase training to improve meal appeal and participation. Lawrence said modest price increases generate predictable revenue—staff estimated $0.25 per‑meal would yield roughly $500,000 and a $1.00 increase roughly $1.8 million in additional revenue—but emphasized the board must weigh affordability and the program’s reliance on federal reimbursements.

Lawrence described the Angel Fund, a private donation pool the district has used to clear negative meal balances for students; she said the fund has received about $126,000 this year and staff have used about $115,000 to cover student negative balances, but warned donations could be exhausted by the end of summer.

Board members asked about targeted outreach, partnership fundraising and how the district communicates program choices to families. Staff said they are expanding communications (multilingual bite‑size videos, principal outreach, and PTA/BAC engagement), pursuing community donors, piloting debit/credit payment acceptance in high schools to increase sales, and planning more culinary and presentation training for kitchen staff to change family perceptions of school meals.

What’s next: Staff asked the board for directional guidance, will return with a concrete proposal at a future meeting and said the budget committee will undertake deeper sustainability conversations. The district noted that because the school meal program operates as an enterprise fund, it must avoid a sustained operating deficit; otherwise, the general fund would need to backfill the program.

Why it matters: school‑meal pricing and program structure affect student access to meals, family budgets and district finances. Any price decision will be balanced against outreach to increase participation and private‑sector fundraising to reduce direct pressure on families.","Wake County school nutrition staff told the board their enterprise fund has been strained by rising food, supply and labor costs and falling participation; staff presented revenue and expense options and asked the board for guidance on next steps.",{"_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},6537035,"Wake County staff review student-assignment policy, recommend Lake Myra calendar conversion amid growth",2235,2372000,4607000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626&start=2372&end=4607","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626/thumbnail_2372000.jpg","/articles/6537035/North-Carolina/Wake-County-staff-review-student-assignment-policy-recommend-Lake-Myra-calendar-conversion-amid-growth","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537035-d33d07d0e580613445267deeb4753db3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064733&Signature=CkBqz6d9ILE26lYF2j2VdREZwZYNvLO60DZrWColVrEHUVvB9Oe1IHCRll-uxW8gdKtwZc9GeQSmOwLt2mw3HXIUAawLxMgV7DY1DkstHF-h6KnlJHPrbgC6jq4JHJOFpV3w7~lAbGQO4FgMxdsg19l7DtOvxEjOu1LzDEvafa0zeQpBhFmTdoT66e-ISucF9NO8D7emBRg2OjoB5EXgiVq5nUpEeVcpfm-gLAEecaQbzZ1vgRywvrBH3W7gjUXYm9y9gEAkKHSwjpvxNfMOpMWt3uaPOTCjTj9VgLtpPYP0q~AoLNZ9ZhYWa~FLLXqsp5INvF-PverLs02iIaPlXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wake County staff told the Board of Education that continued enrollment growth in the district’s eastern corridor requires adjustments in assignments, calendars and long-range capacity planning, and that staff recommend converting Lake Myra Elementary to a multitrack year‑round calendar for the 2026–27 school year.

Presenters said the recommendation follows analysis of the district’s 10-year enrollment projections, current crowding maps and capital improvement plans. The staff presentation showed several eastern elementary attendance areas edging into ‘overcrowded’ projection categories; staff highlighted that nearby schools already operating with trailers would move from marginal to crowded if trailers were removed.

District staff explained why the district uses base assignments and controlled choice: base assignments guarantee a known seat for every address, allow planners to anticipate facility staffing and transportation needs, and create stability in assignments where growth is slow. Controlled choice, staff said, lets the district balance academic opportunity with operational efficiency while preserving family options through magnet lotteries and transfer windows.

To address immediate overcrowding, staff outlined a hierarchy of tools: reassignments, calendar conversions and, as a last resort, caps and overflow placements. The staff emphasized that calendar conversions are sometimes the only practical way to create capacity in fast-growth areas before new construction or renovations come online.

On Lake Myra specifically, staff presented community engagement results from a thought-exchange and a virtual public session. Officials said the virtual meeting had 48 participants and the recorded session attracted nearly 1,000 views; feedback flagged child-care, sibling placements and HVAC and facility concerns as top issues. Staff noted families generally prefer to keep the existing track but that the surrounding projected growth, trailer usage and the timing of new schools in the capital plan will support a multitrack conversion to relieve crowding.

Staff said they will present their conversion recommendation for Lake Myra to the board for action at the board’s regular meeting. The presentation also noted staff efforts to avoid new caps and to coordinate with local towns and community groups to identify multitrack track-out care options for affected families.

Why it matters: assignment decisions and calendar conversions alter where students attend school, how siblings are scheduled, and the daily rhythms for family childcare and transportation. For rapidly growing parts of Wake County, planners said calendar conversion is a near-term tool to manage capacity while new facilities and renovations are completed.

What’s next: staff said they will bring a final recommendation for Lake Myra to the full board for approval at the next board meeting and will continue outreach to families and community partners about track assignments and child-care support.","District planners briefed the board on enrollment, cap and overflow planning, and recommended converting Lake Myra Elementary to a multitrack year‑round calendar for 2026–27 to address projected overcrowding in the eastern growth corridor.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6537039,"Wake County staff present final draft of AIG plan; board to consider approval June 24",716,282000,998000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626&start=282&end=998","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3642444-28047d89f3bb81190d8a71074280a626/thumbnail_282000.jpg","/articles/6537039/North-Carolina/Wake-County-staff-present-final-draft-of-AIG-plan-board-to-consider-approval-June-24","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537039-eb3acd3ae8afbc650c91719b1a427d0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064733&Signature=Wy9rtwELufHaFrpJCd-grPpUkXw6pLrfV5kXnU9I0DWv1sTZicYKPQRvePsW98hhg4T2qKWlZsDXRf0YFSKkZEVUE6BJap~xrAHbJLzjixR6LMII9UsqJzGBwrCrqNJzb4h4JrxrgwYob5A9f3mdecVYnzFfHIkQdKn0LuW04WSPiY6meybngxFl3MzOMjemJ6fDF73oGK1Wv~xK07Fa3BMMfpYBIxVQQ72whIVRRK3SbyR4wk-M466~CTf9nNOE8pKg8iDpY9FZjIXhmwRGVyOrlVIA-XGhmUUitN8qGWy06CDwotUp6cnpr6yv-15MIKqQHHWuk7PhJE7bzIwiSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wake County Public School System staff told the Board of Education on Tuesday that a revised Advanced Instructional/Gifted (AIG) plan is on track for final board approval June 24 and will be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction by the June 30 deadline.

District AIG staff led by Drew Cook and colleagues said the current presentation was intended to narrow the board’s feedback to specific updates and clarify steps for implementation. Cook described the session as “the third installment” of presentations dating to March and said the goal is to present a final draft so the district can meet the DPI timeline.

The staff summary highlights several substantive changes. The plan now incorporates NCDPI language under Program Standard 1 to more explicitly note the district’s commitment to serving underrepresented gifted populations, including culturally and ethnically diverse students, economically disadvantaged students, multilingual learners, twice-exceptional students and highly gifted learners. Andrea Hall, a member of the district AIG team, said the addition is intended to make the district’s priorities clearer and to spur “research[ing] and evaluating practices of other LEAs across North Carolina.”

Staff also described programmatic clarifications aimed at limiting over-testing and expanding identification pathways. The plan emphasizes a portfolio-based identification option that staff said can qualify students without additional standardized testing; district staff said the portfolio is intended to use “authentic data that’s already available in the school building.” Staff explained that students who do not qualify via portfolio will still be eligible for “talent development” services while teachers gather additional evidence.

Board members pressed staff on capacity and budget implications of expanding identification and services to earlier grades. Cook and other staff acknowledged the potential strain on school-level capacity if more primary-grade students enter the formal identification process, and told the board that identified second graders would not begin receiving formal AIG services until third grade while teachers provide preparatory supports.

Staff also described district plans to address teacher supports and professional learning. Dr. Shaniqua Moore Brown and others said the plan discusses teacher training, a proposed glossary of terms to standardize language across schools, and future work to determine how artificial intelligence tools should be used in AIG instruction. “We are going to look into how we can work with the district … and investigate professional development for [AIG teachers],” a staff speaker said.

Next steps: staff said they will incorporate final edits and return to the board for a vote June 24. The board’s June 24 meeting will also serve as the district’s mechanism to finalize the DPI submission by the state’s June 30 deadline.

Why it matters: the AIG plan determines how Wake County identifies and serves academically gifted students across 99 schools. Changes to identification, portfolio use, and staffing expectations will affect classroom workload, budget planning and the services available to students who historically have been underidentified.

What’s next: staff will circulate the updated draft after this meeting and will accept last clarifying edits before bringing the plan to the full board for approval on June 24.","District staff returned to the Wake County Board of Education with revisions to the Advanced Instructional/Gifted (AIG) plan and said they will present a final draft for board approval on June 24 to meet the state submission deadline.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews draft changes to student device policy after principals report fewer incidents with restricted use

Wake County school nutrition warns reserves low; staff proposes options including modest meal-price increases

Wake County staff review student-assignment policy, recommend Lake Myra calendar conversion amid growth

Wake County staff present final draft of AIG plan; board to consider approval June 24