Thank you Cary News for your fantastic ongoing coverage of Apex, including the recent front-page feature on some of the historic buildings in our downtown area. As an active member of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and local businessman, I’m thrilled at the coverage your paper has been giving our growing community. Such articles help to educate newcomers and Apex natives alike about our town’s past, present and future, and ties us all together during changing times. You are definitely filling a void in professional, in-depth coverage of our schools, neighborhoods, businesses and churches like a good community newspaper should. Thanks for your reliable reporting, looking forward to more Apex news in the weeks ahead.

David Menzies, Apex

A letter to Wake County BOE

On Feb. 14 the Wake Educational Partnership released a position paper in support of a policy pursued since the 1970s by the Wake County Public School System to obtain demographic balance in its schools. Following two months of research of the information contained in this paper, and with the support of staff members of WCPSS and leading experts on education policy in our county and state, I published a rebuttal to the WEP’s position paper on April 1. The full text may be found here: www.ullisart.com/images/Misegades_Balance_rebuttal.pdf.

Referring to the conclusions of this rebuttal, I respectfully request from the Wake County Board of Education an explanation for the following facts regarding the performance of our schools and details regarding socioeconomic assignments of children attending Wake County public schools:

1. Data obtained shows an inexplicable and increasing gap between the percentage of children living in poverty and those receiving free and reduced-price meals, contrary to the general decline in child poverty in recent years in Wake County as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. As the percentage of school-aged children living in poverty has dropped, the percentage receiving free and reduced-price meals has surprisingly increased. Currently nearly 30 percent of all school children in Wake schools are qualified for free and reduced-price meals; however the U.S. Census Bureau reports only 10 percent of children between the ages of 5-17 living in poverty. Please explain the significant difference in these percentages, since the Federal meals program is intended only for children living in poverty.

2. In 2007, the high school cohort graduation rate in Wake County reached its lowest point since 2000, the same year that the WCPSS began its policy of socioeconomic assignments. Please explain why, despite assignment policies aimed at increasing academic performance and graduation rates, combined with significant increases in per-pupil funding since 2000, the percentage of children graduating from Wake public high schools has decreased, in particular among minorities and the poor.

3. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools abolished socioeconomic assignments in 2001 in favor of policies supporting community schools. Since then, the academic performance of CMS students has improved significantly, rivaling that of students in Wake County, despite a larger percentage of poor students in CMS schools. How then can WCPSS continue to claim advantages to its current socioeconomic assignment policies?

Kent P. Misegades, Cary

Can’t blame only the mortgage companies

Some would want to put all the blame on the subprime mortgage companies but it is really the borrower who has caused the issue. With my personal work experience in the subprime market I have seen what the underlying problem is in most foreclosures. The main problem with foreclosures is that people have too much unnecessary debt payments. It is usually noticed when the borrower’s interest rate resets every two years on their adjustable rate mortgage. Which in most cases the interest rate will double.

Despite the fact that some lenders have been accused of predatory activity, it is ultimately the borrower’s responsibility since they were the ones who got the loan in the first place. This isn’t just a North Carolina finding but in all the accounts I worked from Hawaii to Maine. About 99 percent of the customers’ account that couldn’t pay monthly mortgage payments said they had so many debt payments. The reason for the increase in foreclosures nationwide is the debt in high-end cars, boats, etc.

Nathan Hawes, Apex

Revisit year-round

I was very surprised when I heard the BOE voted to delay the opening of two elementary schools due to the “slowing growth among young students.” I have been writing the BOE for the past year requesting they revisit their decision to open all new schools as year-round due to lower than expected growth. Their response has always been that growth was still high enough to warrant all new schools opening as year-round. In addition, they explained that year-round schools are part of the assumptions used to create the current Capital Improvement Plan and that changing the CIP is a difficult process which requires speaking to the commissioners first. The construction of the two schools is part of the same CIP. Another reason given was that the voters passed the school construction bond and those voters’ wishes must be honored. The construction of those two schools and the opening of all new schools as year-round are both part of that very same bond. While I am glad the BOE has finally admitted to slower growth, I am distressed that the same reasons given for being unable to revisit the year-round decision are now treated as non-existent when it comes to voting to delay the construction of the two new schools. If the BOE can stop building new schools due to slow growth, they can certainly revisit the decision to open all new schools as year-round. All the other reasons for not doing so are null and void.

Terri Johnson, Cary

On track for community fitness

It has been a real frustration that the area school tracks are closed to the public. These venues are paid for through tax moneys. They are also a great resource to help keep our community members healthy and safe while running and walking. Folks of all levels (walkers, runners, joggers, speed walkers) can use the facility simultaneously. Families can exercise together at individual levels at the same time — making a great family outing that is fitness oriented. It is nice that you can train, keep an eye on your children running and walking, not have to deal with road crossings, cars and exhaust and if the weather or your ankle takes a turn you are close to your car.

Clearly opening these facilities to the public has it drawbacks in terms of liability — but this can be combated by bold signs saying “use at your own risk” or “WCPSS accepts no responsibility for what happens to you or your property while using this facility.” Additionally, some people might use an open facility as a way to make a personal statement through damaging or destroying property, which might cause problems for school activities and cost money for repair. But individuals who are motivated to do this kind of damage will not be kept out by a 4-foot chain link fence, only law-abiding, taxpaying citizens are kept out. Also additional people using the track cause natural wear and tear that requires attention and money but this should not prevent families from having access when the track is not in use by the school.

Can you imagine the Department of Motor Vehicles saying “taxpayers buy the roads, DOT owns the roads and the public is not allowed to use them.” Silly I know but the WCPSS message has that tenor. Families seeking a safe and accessible fitness venue are not wanting access to the science labs or the band instruments, just a quarter mile of safe pavement which already exsists. What can be done to gain access to what is ours?

Alisa Wright Colopy, Fit & Able Productions Inc.