Wake County co-chairs new Central Carolina RESA safety council to boost regional collaboration

Mister Cortez said Wake County Schools helped create a new safety council within the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance (CCRESA) to improve collaboration among neighboring districts.

The district described the council as a co-chaired effort led by Wake County and Nash County security offices that launched in March and now meets monthly (virtually) with quarterly in-person sessions planned. The councils stated purpose is to share best practices, benchmark procedures and coordinate communications with state agencies and resources.

Why it matters: Wake County staff said the regions districts have uneven access to resources and that formalizing the council will allow smaller districts to learn from larger ones and for all members to standardize response practices and share threat and prevention information.

Cortez told the committee that through CCRESA participation, Wake County identified that no safety-focused council existed for the central region and proposed creating one. Superintendent Taylor and other staff framed the effort as consistent with district leadership priorities to share expertise across academic, facilities and security areas.

Operational details: The district said about 12—15 counties and districts participate in CCRESA partnerships across different disciplines; the new safety council will sit alongside existing CCRESA councils for IT, communications and academics. Cortez said gatherings have already yielded benchmarking benefits and improved coordination with state partners.

The committee did not take formal action on the council; staff presented it as an informational update and said they will continue monthly and quarterly meetings with partner districts.