Reassignment, Busing Among Topics on Wake School Board's Agenda

School officials said 8,000 new students are expected to enter the school system each year over the next couple of years. Because Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ruled year-round schools could not be mandatory, board members now must figure out a way to maintain diversity in the classroom while easing overcrowding at the same time.

Board members looked at Wake County's achievement gap. Initially, system leaders wanted 95 percent of students in the third through 12th grades reading at or above grade level in 2008. A recent 400-page audit by an educational consulting group found some minority groups perform at much lower rates than whites and Asians.

The audit also states that more girls take advanced courses while more boys are in special education. At the district's current rate, the report said, the achievement gap will never close.

The school board looked at ideas for narrow the achievement gap, such as equal access to resources and recruiting more male and minority teachers. The board looked at busing and how to improve transportation when it comes to reassignment.