The News and Observer November 9, 2006

HEADLINE: Keeping the schools on track

By W. Robert Saffold

RALEIGH - Wake County voters made an important choice for our community when they approved the $970 million school bond issue. As more than 7,500 additional students fill our schools each year, voters chose the best and fairest way to finance the building of new schools and renovations for existing schools. The campaign to pass the bonds was a difficult one on many fronts -- opposition to increased taxes, anger over year-round conversions and concerns about other system policies and practices all complicated the question of how to pay for schools. Now that the bonds have passed, it is more critical than ever that we begin to work together and seek answers to questions about the future of our public schools.

When the Wake County Public School System was formed in 1976, following the merger of the Raleigh city and Wake County public schools, we were a community divided. Elected officials and business leaders worked for the merger over vocal objections from Wake County citizens because, in the words of then-school board chair Vernon Malone, "It was the right thing to do." Today, Wake County enjoys one of the best school districts in the nation, in part because of bold leadership and courageous decision-making in 1976.

Thirty years later, that same courage is needed again to become a community united. Following passage of the bond issue, Wake Education Partnership calls on Wake County's leaders -- those in business, political office, community groups and education -- to renew a focus on ensuring excellence for our public schools. Preparing our students for success in a global economy means that we must aim for world-class standards for our schools. Wake County has the capacity to provide our children with a world-class public education, and we, as a community, must deliver.

First, we must actively pursue the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on the Future of Wake County. This nonpartisan committee, established by the Board of Commissioners, included 65 business and community leaders representing a range of expertise and interests. The committee's report states that "while pursuing cost controls, additional revenue sources also must be explored and implemented...to meet our responsibility to citizens to protect their already sizeable investment in public facilities."

The committee suggested ensuring cost efficiency in school designs, raising the cap on charter schools, employing public/private partnerships and expanding the use of year-round schools, in addition to exploring local sales tax and real estate transfer fees for school construction.

Given the tremendous growth in student enrollment, it is critical that leaders employ as many options as they can -- not only the school bonds -- to meet the needs of our district. The school system is already exploring some of proposals, and members of the committee are committed to pursuing their recommendations with school and county leaders, but they will need the support and energy of our community behind them to make a difference.

Second, we need to separate the financial discussion from the academic one. There is no question that we need to invest wisely in facilities, but what do we want to happen for our students inside these buildings? How do we define world-class schools that prepare Wake County students for a competitive global marketplace? What can we do to ensure that our schools have a positive impact on our quality of life?

Let's expand the debate from a narrow focus on space-saving initiatives and school scheduling logistics to an open, comprehensive dialogue about what really matters.

The same courageous leadership and bold decision-making that helped Wake County make important strides in public education over the past 30 years are needed to take us ahead for the next 30 years. We must build a strong foundation for the future by building the facilities our students and teachers need for educational success. But beyond the bricks and mortar, we must ensure that all students are well-educated and prepared for the 21st century. Without strong schools, our community will suffer, affecting those in the classroom as well as citizens across Wake County.

Wake Education Partnership is committed to world-class excellence for Wake's public schools. We hope that others in the community will join us and help us lead the way.

(W. Robert Saffold is president of Wake Education Partnership, an independent local education fund (www.wakeedpartnership.org). At the Web site there is a short online survey about the referendum results and the school system's future. Responses to the survey are anonymous and will be shared with school and county leaders.)