Wake County magnet office details outreach push, grant-funded roles to boost family engagement

The Wake County Public Schools magnet office told the Community Engagement Committee on Monday that it has expanded outreach and family engagement work at magnet schools using federal MSAP grant funding and new district staffing.

Magnet programs director Dr. Kimberly Lane said the district wants families to do more than attend events: "we don't want just parents at the table. We want them to be decision makers, partners in the work with us." Lane described a 42-year history of magnets in Wake County and said recent grant cycles have broadened the district's approach from marketing and recruitment to sustained outreach and community partnership building.

Nut graf: The presentation outlined how three federal MSAP grants — referenced in committee remarks as Project Nexus, Project Synergy and Project Elevate — are being used to place outreach coordinators, build community advisory boards, increase PTA membership and pilot practices that the district hopes to scale to more magnet and non‑magnet schools.

Lane and magnet office staff cited specific results from grant-funded schools. Tasha Haynes (magnet office grant lead) reported PTA membership increases at several schools: Dillard Drive Magnet Elementary's PTA grew "from 46 members" to "64," and Smith Magnet Elementary showed a change from "45 members in year 1" to "23 members" in year 4 as reported during the meeting. Haynes also said Project Elevate schools have boosted attendance at family events — Reedy Creek Magnet Middle School increased a fall event from 13 attendees to 75, and Wendell Magnet Middle School increased spring attendance from 13 to 24.

Coco Thornton, described by Lane as a newly created central‑office outreach coach for Project Synergy, said the role supports school leaders and helps create tiered partnerships with local organizations: "We are creating magnet advisory boards that include the parents and community members alongside school leaders so that they have a voice in decision making process at their schools." Thornton cited partnerships with NC State's School of Design and the Friday Institute at Centennial Campus as recent examples.

Lane described a district effort to codify "magnet core components" — integration, innovative curriculum, family and community outreach, marketing and improvement, and organizational leadership — and to define roles for the magnet office, principals, coordinators and classroom teachers. The district plans to roll out those core components through a summer institute in late June and to use them in subsequent school walkthroughs, Lane said.

Ending: Committee members asked that successful practices be shared more broadly across the district and discussed scaling grant innovations to Wake County's 61 magnet programs. No formal committee vote was taken on the presentation; staff said they will continue implementing the outreach work under the MSAP grants and report back to the board.