New high school, no controversy for Wake Board of Education

Last Thursday in one of those shovel ceremonies, the Wake County Board of Education broke ground on a new high school in Cary. Eventually it will be Green Level High School, located in the Greens Level area and not far from Green Hope High, Panther Creek High and Apex High. When it opens in 2017, it will be a relocated Apex High School which will move there while the school in Apex undergoes a huge renovation project. In 2018, Apex will move back to Apex in Apex and the new Green Level High will open as Green Level High.

In an area of Wake County that has had tremendous growth, this new school will be a very welcomed addition, hopefully reducing over-enrollment at other area high schools, but in all likelihood the new school and the others will be over-crowded once the new school admits all four classes after starting with just a freshman and sophomore classes. So, by 2020 Green Level will be bursting at the seams as will Green Hope, Panther Creek, Apex and other area schools. It seems in Wake County, the state’s largest school district, building does not out-pace student enrollment, no matter how well planned the expansion process goes.

Funny thing is that we have not heard a lot of complaints from Apex high students and the parents thereof about the move to Green Level for one year. The class of 2017 will be unique in technically attending Apex High while attending Green Level High, if indeed the building is dedicated as such that year which is doubtful. The two schools are about five miles apart, but if this were reassignment instead of a complete school being moved, you can bet that parents would be outraged.

The School Board has a tough job trying to keep up with enrollment which is unpredictable at best. It’s interesting that there has not been a lot of controversy recently surrounding this group. They must be doing something right or flying just under the radar of public opinion.

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Dictionary.com word of the day

defenestrate (verb) [dee-fen-uh-streyt] to throw out of a window