County Waives Certain Fees

Release date:  October 20, 2016The Wayne County Board of Commissioners unanimously waived the following:

• Fees at the landfill for Hurricane Matthew and the subsequent flooding-related solid waste for the next 45 days;
• Fees in the environmental health area for inspections of wells and septic systems damaged in Hurricane Matthew and the subsequent flooding for the next 45 days;
• Building permit fees for permits secured in the next 45 days for construction or reconstruction related to Hurricane Matthew and the subsequent flooding.

Make-Up Time
Since the historical flooding event occurred last week, a number of state elected officials have publically stated that they were working to have missed school days forgiven. In accordance with North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory’s Executive Order No. 110, WCPS will not schedule any make-up days between now and when the General Assembly takes up this issue.

Date Changes for End of First Two Grading Periods (Traditional Academic Calendar)
While no make-up days are being scheduled, WCPS will change the last day of the first grading period (Traditional Academic Calendar only) to November 3. Additionally, the last day of the first semester will now be January 19. The Designated Workday originally scheduled for January 17 has been rescheduled to January 20. These changes were made to more equitably distribute instructional days across grading periods.

Please note: No changes will be made to the non-traditional academic calendars, which include Goldsboro High, Wayne Early/Middle College High, and Wayne School of Engineering. The non-traditional academic calendars are aligned with the Wayne Community College academic calendar, with the first semester for each school scheduled to end before the winter holiday break.

A printable copy of the revised traditional academic calendar is now available on the district website at www.waynecountyschools.org.

Meeting Student Needs
As of this morning, the WCPS transportation department has modified more than 30 bus stops, including a number of neighborhood stops that serve multiple students, as a result of road closures. Additionally, WCPS route managers are working with the WCPS Crisis Team and the Wayne County Department of Social Services to identify students displaced from their homes, in order to create accommodations to get students to their home schools. Approximately 15 WCPS students stayed at the School Street evacuation shelter last night, down from more than 40 staying in Goldsboro evacuation shelters last week. While there was one issue in picking up a handful of students this morning from the shelter, the transportation issues were resolved and now all students there are being bused to and from their home schools.

The WCPS Crisis Team is still working to identify those students who are in need of additional supports. On Tuesday, a Student Needs Hotline and an online Students Needs Survey form on the district website were set up in order for WCPS to identify the needs of those students who have been impacted and/or displaced. Not counting direct calls or parent stop-ins at a school, more than 150 students have been identified through the hotline and online form within 48-hours of being set up. It is worth noting that the majority of students that have been reported have either lost their home to flooding or are living in a home that sustained flood or other storm damage.

“As a district, we have been working since last week to get a grasp of just how many students have been impacted as a result of Hurricane Matthew,” states Dr. Michael Dunsmore, WCPS superintendent. “We have now learned that we have displaced students living as far away as Greensboro, Smithfield, Wilson and Kinston. We anticipate that in the coming days our schools will learn of even more students who are in need of school supplies, clothes, transportation accommodations, or a specialized service from one of our school counselors, psychologists or social workers as a result of what occurred.”

Parents who have not reported concerns to their child’s school can call 919-705-6158 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. as long as this service is needed. Parents can also go to the district website, www.waynecountyschools.org, to complete the online form.

Donations
In addition to helping connect students and families to reputable charities and organizations for support, WCPS is accepting physical donations that will help students in need of clothes, shoes, school supplies, personal hygiene products, and/or other personal properties lost to flooding. A special WCPS Relief Fund account with BB&T has also been setup for individuals seeking to make a monetary donation in order for schools to directly purchase needed items for students.

Those interested in making a physical donation should contact Carol Artis at 919-705-6166. Gift cards are welcome. Anyone interested in making a monetary donation should direct checks to the WCPS Relief Fund. Checks can be dropped off at the WCPS Administrative Offices on Royall Avenue in Goldsboro or mailed to
Wayne County Public Schools
Attention: WCPS Relief Fund
P.O. Drawer 1797
Goldsboro, N.C. 27533-1797