Wake County School Board Tackles Transfer Requests

This is the time of year when parents appeal to the school board if they are denied transfers to other schools. As some have found out, there are no easy cases and no easy answers.

Posted 12:06 a.m. Jun 24, 2007 — Updated 2:26 p.m. Jun 24, 2007

APEX, N.C. — Wake County school board members are pulling 10-, sometimes 12-hour days.

This is the time of year when parents appeal to the school board if administrators deny transfers to other schools. As some have found out, there are no easy cases and no easy answers.

For high school student Savannah Revelle, managing her school calendar has turned out to be tougher than the advanced math classes she's trying to take.

“OK, I’m in two schools. I have two lives almost,” she said.

Savannah’s mother, Ruth Revelle, said she wants her daughter at one school, but that is proving to be difficult.

Last year, Savannah bounced between two schools to get the math classes she needed. This year, her parents tried to get her transferred to Apex High to avoid the shuffle. But their request was denied.

“Her math is a big academic part of her life,” Ruth Revelle said.

The board looked at two things when considering the Revelle’s request. First, Apex High is overcrowded. And second, Apex only has the higher math level to get Savannah through her junior year, but not beyond that.

Thousands of parents ask for transfers each year. So far this year about 4,700 transfers have been requested. A little more than 2,800 were approved and about 1,900 were denied. Parents can appeal through the school board.

School board member Ron Margiotta said he agrees with Savannah and her family.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

But despite more lenient transfer rules, Margiotta said families still might have a hard time swaying the entire school board.

“This appeal process is over the top. I’m recognizing that people need a voice,” Margiotta said.

If Savannah doesn’t get the transfer, she’ll have math at Apex High, but head back to Holly Springs High for the rest of the day.

Holly Springs doesn't have the higher level math classes yet because it opened as a new school last year with underclassmen.

So far this year, a larger percentage of transfers have been granted compared to last year. Appeals hearings continue on Tuesday.

Suggest A Correction