Groups plan protest at next Wake schools meeting

Two groups have filed notice with the Raleigh Police Department that they plan to protest at the next meeting of the Wake County Board of Education. The school board is due to meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. at 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

The two groups -- Americans for Prosperity and Bigger Picture 4 Wake -- are on opposite sides of the heated issue about how Wake County students are assigned to schools.

Four new members of the board took office Dec. 1, changing the balance of power. Debra Goldman, Chris Malone, Deborah Prickett and John Tedesco campaigned on a willingness to move away from the district’s policy of busing students to create socio-economic diversity within individual schools. The new board members join Ron Margiotta in support of neighborhood schools.

Four board members remain who supported the diversity measures. In their first act in office, the new members moved to remove Kevin Hill as chairman of the board and elected Margiotta to replace him.

On the application for a protest permit, each group indicated it expected a turnout of about 50 people.