The only new school set to open in Wake County later this year is Walnut Creek Elementary in Southeast Raleigh.
All new schools in the state's largest school system are scheduled to open as year-round to accomodate the most students.
However, after a series of community meetings concerning 2011-12 reassignments, Wake Schools growth and planning staff recommended Walnut Creek open on a traditional calendar.
"Many of the families in that area prefer traditional calendar because of the burden of additional child care with the year-round schedule," said Board member Keith Sutton.
Yet many of the students being reassigned to fill the new school attend year-round schools like East Garner Elementary.
Parents in the car pool line at East Garner offered mix reaction to a schedule change.
Joyce Katz suggested if her grandchildren are slated to move traditional, they'll apply for their year-round option school, to stay where they are.
"Our oldest was supposed to go traditional and we worked hard to get him in here (East Garner Elementary)," said Katz.
Yet Chauncey Sumpter who lives next to the new Walnut Creek Elementary loved the idea of sending his kids so close to home, but he was luke warm to a schedule change.
"It would work, but I prefer to keep the same (year-round) schedule," said Sumpter.
Retired educator Marvin Pittman lives in Southeast Raleigh and supported the staff recommendation of a traditional calendar at the new school.
"We have several year-round programs already here in the community, so I would question the need to have an additional year-round program," said Pittman.
Yet board member John Tedesco said, "We made a promise to county commissioners and taxpayers that the new school would open as a year-round school."
Capacity is the other issue: "If you convert it (Walnut Creek) to traditional you are going to loose capacity in Southeast Raleigh where a host of our magnet schools are, thus, depleting magnet school seats as we try to bring kids closer to home," said Tedesco.
"The key point is we need to hear from the community, particularly those folks in the Walnut Creek base area," said Sutton.
More debate on Walnut Creek's calendar option is likely among the school board.
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