The Wake County school system is now the 17th-largest in the country, moving ahead of Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.

Figures released this month by Montgomery County show that the Washington-area system has 146,497 students this school year, a gain of about 2,500. But Wake overtook Montgomery County this fall by adding 3,398 students for an enrollment now of 146,687.

In addition to moving up one slot in the national rankings, Wake retained its position as the largest district in North Carolina. Charlotte-Mecklenburg is second with 138,100 students.

Although the poor economy means Wake is no longer growing by 7,000 students a year, the district has netted more than 3,000 additional students annually over the past several years.

School leaders say a bond referendum on school construction will be needed in the next few years.

Sponsors sought for wreaths

From staff reports

The organizers of several wreath-laying ceremonies in North Carolina are looking for sponsors to buy holiday wreaths to place on the graves of veterans around the state.

The ceremonies are part of a nationwide effort called Wreaths Across America, which was inspired by a Maine company's annual donation of wreaths to be placed on graves at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C. Six years ago, after a photo of snow-covered stones adorned with the wreaths circulated on the Internet, the idea spread to veterans cemeteries and monuments across the country and overseas.

Twenty-one wreath-laying ceremonies are scheduled in North Carolina on Dec. 10, including ones at Hillcrest Cemetery in Cary, at the main post cemetery at Fort Bragg and at the veterans memorial at the state Capitol.

The largest local wreath ceremony is sponsored by the Samuel Johnston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at Raleigh National Cemetery, 501 Rock Quarry Road. Last year, the organization raised enough money for about 600 wreaths.

Each wreath is $15. For more information or to sponsor a wreath, go to www .wreathsacrossamerica .org .

Revaluation put off in Chatham

From staff reports

Chatham County's Board of Commissioners decided last week that 2013 was too soon to revalue property in the county for tax purposes.

The board voted Nov. 21 to delay the revaluation until Jan. 1, 2015, hoping the two-year delay would prevent a tax increase for property owners.

Chairman Brian Bock said the economic slump has had uneven impact on property values in the county, causing some properties to lose value while others have remained steady. Bock said some taxpayers would be upset no matter when the county revalued property.

"We felt that it was more equitable to forestall revaluation, because a major tax increase affecting everyone would be the end result of performing revaluation in 2012-13," Bock said in a statement.

The decision also saves the county some money in the near-term. It would cost about $130,000 over the next two budget years to perform the revaluation. The state requires counties to revalue real estate at least every eight years.