Public Schools

The Wake County Public School System, the second largest in North Carolina, provides regular and special instructional programs for children in kindergarten through high school, in addition to some early intervention programs for prekindergarten aged children. School bus transportation, food service, counseling, athletic programs, and other operations support the instructional programs.

At the helm of the school system is the Board of Education and its superintendent. They are responsible for providing a quality education to Wake County students while maintaining fiscal responsibility and accountability. The board consists of nine members, elected in districts by the public, who serve staggered four-year terms. The superintendent is appointed by the board and serves as chief executive officer of the school system. The board is responsible for setting policy, and the superintendent and administrative staff manage the system's day-to-day operations. In North Carolina, the basic public education program is funded by the state and is augmented with local funds. The board has budget review authority, but it is not a taxing body and must submit its annual budget requests to the Wake County Board of Commissioners, which controls allocation of funds to the schools.