Chris Fitzsimon, a former newsman, advisor to former House Speaker Dan Blue and now policy analyst and blogger for N.C. Policy Watch (www.ncpolicywatch.com) at the N.C. Justice Center in Raleigh, looks at some interesting numbers as voters in Wake County go to the polls today in an election that could change the county school system's diversity policy and require more neighborhood schools and less busing.
Here's part of Fitzsimon's latest blogpost:
139,599-number of students in Wake County schools in the first month of 2009-2010 school year
128,072-number of students in Wake County Schools in the first month of 2006-2007 school year
79.71-percent of Wake County students in 2008-2009 who attend a school within 5 miles of their home
79.57-percent of Wake County students in 2006-2007 who attended a school within 5 miles of their home
107,970 number of Wake County students who attend specific school by assignment
30,150 number of Wake County students who attend school by choice
86.6-percent of Wake County students who attend school within 5 miles of their home due to school assignment
55-percent of Wake County students who attend school within 5 miles of their home due to choice of school
8,117-amount in dollars of spending per student in Wake County in 2007-2008 school year
8,595-amount in dollars of spending per student in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in 2007-2008 school year
35-amount in millions of dollars that budget of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools exceeded budget of Wake County Schools last year
71.7-percent of students statewide who graduate from high school as reported in 2009 AYP results
78.4-percent of students in Wake County schools who graduate as reported in 2009 AYP results
66.1-percent of students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools who graduate as reported in 2009 AYP results
63.4-percent of African-American students in Wake County Schools who graduate
55.5- percent of African-American students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools who graduate.
54.2-percent of students in Wake County Schools who receive free or reduced lunch who graduate.
52.0- percent of students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools who receive free or reduced lunch who graduate
100-number of points the average score on the SAT in 2009 in Wake County was higher than the average score in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
5,935-amount by which student enrollment in Wake County Schools exceeded enrollment in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
17-percent that spending on busing by Charlotte Mecklenburg exceeded spending on busing by Wake County Schools in 2008-2009 school year.
