Parents fight school transfer ruling
By Sierra Henry
Published in News on September 5, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Freshman Zoey Rye, 14, talks to her grandmother Matie Rye in the kitchen while filling out paperwork she received Tuesday during her first day at Princeton High School. Rye, who attended Rosewood Middle School last year, lives in the Charles B. Aycock district, but often stays with her grandparents during the week because of her parents' work schedules.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Freshman Zoey Rye, 14, sits on the back porch of her grandparents' home in Rosewood after her first day at her new school, a week after she was scheduled to start.
Zoey Rye's stomach is in knots.
Ever since the end of the 2016-17 school year, Rye has been anxiously waiting in limbo as her mother, Carlie Heilmann, navigated the transfer appeal process under the recent transfer moratorium.
The moratorium, which Wayne County Board of Education enacted last year, prohibits all student transfers, including those to schools with available space to receive new students.
Board member Len Henderson said the moratorium was authorized in order for the board to address overcrowding in schools by having all students going to the school in the district they live in.
Rye, who has attended school in the Rosewood District since elementary school, would have had to attend the school in the district she lives, Charles B. Aycock High School. The thought of transitioning to an unfamiliar school district with a larger ratio of students to teachers and short-term suspensions has taken a toll on her.
"(The school board has) left my daughter anxious," Heilman said. "Her stomach has been in knots all summer.
"The size of (Charles B. Aycock) is overwhelming to her. She's not one to ask questions; she's very shy."
Prior to the transfer moratorium, Policy Code 4130 for pupil assignment and reassignment Section B, the Wayne County Board of Education grants a request for the reassignment of students to schools outside of their district, depending on the available space of the school and whether or not the parent or guardian can provide transportation.
According to the policy, granted transfers do not permit students to change from one school in their district to another school in the district at the same level. The transfer does not include the next school in the feeder pattern, such transitioning from an elementary school to a middle school or a middle school to a high school.
All out-of-district students are required to submit a letter of intent to continue their out-of-district transfer during February of the current school year.
Heilmann said she and her husband have always had early work schedules and rely on their parents, who live in Rosewood, to assist them by taking their children to school.
While their son was approved to continue attending Rosewood Elementary School, their daughter was not approved to transfer to Rosewood High School and must attend the school in the district where her parents live.
Heilmann said this has caused significant transportation issues for the grandparents, since Charles B. Aycock High School begins classes at 8 a.m. and Rosewood Elementary at 7:45 a.m.
"I think there's a gray area because I know there were approvals (of transfers or of district) but I can't get an answer to what constitutes an approval," Heilmann said.
Heilmann said she is also concerned about the high student-to-teacher ratio and number of short-term suspensions at Charles B. Aycock.
According to data provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for the 2016-17 school year, Rosewood High School had an average ratio of 14 students per teacher, while Charles B. Aycock had an average ration of 16 students per teacher.
The NCDPI also reported that Rosewood High School had an average of 0.38 criminal acts per 100 students and 6.23 short-term suspensions per 100 students for the 2016-17 school year. Charles B. Aycock had an average of 1.23 criminal acts per 100 students and 8.96 short-term suspensions per 100 students.
"I just don't think it would be a good learning environment," Heilmann said.
Under North Carolina General Statutes Related to Student Assignment 115C-369 Section A: Any parent or guardian of any child dissatisfied with the assignment made by the local board of education may apply for reassignment of the child to a different public school. If the application is denied, the applicant is entitled to a "prompt and fair" hearing on the reassignment.
During the hearing, the board of education is to consider the "best interest of the student, the orderly and efficient administration of the public schools, the proper administration of the school to which reassignment is requested and the instruction, health and safety of the student enrolled."
David Lewis, assistant superintendent for accountability, said that the board heard 178 appeals on denied transfer requests for the 2018-19 school year. Of the 178 appeals, 155 transfer requests were approved and 23 were denied.
Lewis said that it is important to keep in mind that not all transfer requests that were denied were appealed and not all students with transfers that expired at the end of the 2017-18 school year chose to reapply for the 2018-19 school year.
Henderson said that the committee approved certain transfer appeals based on the needs of the students, such as if they were enrolled in a special program at a school outside of their district, like ROTC programs or special needs programs, and child care needs.
"Every case I sat in on was handled case by case and our employees do not pass judgment," Lewis said. "Once you receive a transfer to a specific school, that does not mean a series of schools."
While the board has heard several appeals and approved some, Heilmann does not feel as though they spent enough time asking her questions about her reasons for appealing. She also thinks there are gray areas regarding what transfer appeals would be approved under the moratorium that are not clearly defined by the board of education.
"Schools are built around families and family units and in this particular case, the new moratorium is OK with breaking our children in two different schools," Heilmann said.
"Whether you agree or disagree with the new moratorium ... attending a new school during one's teenage years, with new students (and) new teachers, can be frightening and now having to have two kids in two different districts at the same time is difficult."
Board member Christopher West said that the committee conducted all appeal requests in the same way every time.
"I can't stop people from talking," West said. "But I can tell you this, I conducted all 150 or more hearings -- I asked the same questions, they were all given the same amount of time ... Everything was very consistently done.
"We try to be fair and consistent."
After her transfer appeal was denied, Heilmann enrolled her daughter at Princeton High School in Johnston County. While Heilmann said that it cost her family $1,700 for her daughter to attend, she was much happier with the decision.
Rye began classes at her new school Tuesday morning.