The Wake County school board majority wants to divide the county into discrete attendance zones, similar to the plan adopted by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools a few years ago. Students would be assigned to schools within the zone unless they exercise an educational option.
The North Carolina General Statutes clearly prohibit drawing attendance zones to discriminate against certain groups (see below), although I should note that the school board majority would never consider doing so.
? 115C‑367. Assignment on certain bases prohibited.
No person shall be refused admission to or be excluded from any public school in this State on account of race, creed, color or national origin. No school attendance district or zone shall be drawn for the purpose of segregating persons of various races, creeds, colors or national origins from the community.
Where local school administrative units have divided the geographic area into attendance districts or zones, pupils shall be assigned to schools within such attendance districts: Provided, however, that the board of education of a local school administrative unit may assign any pupil to a school outside of such attendance district or zone in order that such pupil may attend a school of a specialized kind including but not limited to a vocational school or school operated for, or operating programs for, pupils mentally or physically handicapped, or for any other reason which the board of education in its sole discretion deems sufficient.
Lefties have accused members of the school board majority of plotting to draw attendance zones in an attempt to “divide students and the community along racial and economic lines.” The law and their own convictions prohibit the board majority from doing so.
