School begins with few hiccups
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on August 31, 2016 1:46 PM
Another school year got underway Monday without too much hubbub, with student numbers up at most of the schools and staff vacancies down, Wayne County Public Schools officials said.
Twenty-nine schools resumed this week, with the remaining three -- Goldsboro High, Wayne Early/Middle College and Wayne School of Engineering -- starting Aug. 8.
"The first day of school is always an exciting time for our students and staff," schools superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore said. "While there were some typical back to school issues, like slowdowns in the car rider line as parents got used to traffic patterns again and a few bus issues that resulted in delays for students, most of the schools reported a smooth transition for our students."
On the flip side of that equation, the transportation department reported fewer bus driver vacancies, historically an issue for school systems.
Dean Sauls, assistant superintendent for support services, said staff had diligently addressed the need in anticipation of another school year.
"Our transportation department has been working since school closed last June to hire and retain the most hard to fill part-time positions in the school district," he said. "On Monday, we started school with six vacancies. To temporarily fill any foreseen gaps in coverage, we are using custodians, cafeteria workers, instructional assistants and route managers."
Another thorny issue had been filling teacher rosters by the time the doors opened.
Vacancies were greatly reduced this year, officials said, with the human resources department getting a jump on the number of classroom openings and hiring quality teachers. Dr. Yvette Smith-Mason, assistant superintendent for human resources, and her staff began the process back in January.
"While substitute teachers have an important role, we certainly did not want students showing up to one in the classroom on the first day of school," she said. "With the support of my staff and the principals, we were able to start school with only 12 teacher vacancies.
"While the district is still working to fill those positions, it is worth noting that this time last year, the district started school with more than 90 teacher vacancies."
To determine staffing needs at schools across the county, student enrollment is closely monitored over the first 10 days of school.
The official head count for the first day was 17,678, slightly up from the same time last year, when it was 17,585.
Over the next nine days of school on the traditional calendar, those numbers are expected to climb. The 2015-2016 enrollment grew up to 18,725.
Nine schools showed the largest increase over the previous year, including five of the district's high schools.
Charles B. Aycock High, typically boasting the largest population, rose from 1,213 to 1,266. Goldsboro High spiked by 74, from 478 to 552.
Spring Creek High's numbers swelled by 55, from 586 to 641, while Rosewood High went from 491 to 536.
Eastern Wayne High is up by 20, from 996 to 1,016.
The largest difference was seen at Tommy's Road Elementary, which had 77 more students starting than the previous year. In 2015-2016, 555 showed up the first day. On Monday, enrollment was at 632.
Others showing higher numbers included Grantham Middle, going from 381 to 420, Spring Creek Elementary, from 797 to 821, and Brogden Primary, up from 782 to 804.
Schools in the central attendance area, part of the regrouping plan approved by the school board in June, also reflected shifts in enrollment numbers.
School Street Elementary, which had 172 students this year last year, is no longer an elementary school. It is being repurposed as an early learning center.
North Drive Elementary, now a K-2 school, had 381 students last year. On this year's first day, 554 students attended classes.
Carver Heights Elementary's numbers remained steady, despite its now being home for grades 3-5. First-day numbers last year were at 244; this year they were at 249.
Dillard Middle School, which dropped fifth grade and is now a grades 6-8 school, dropped from 434 to 262.