Growth and Planning

FAQ

1. If Heritage Middle is not my base school but I would like my child to attend, what do I need to do?

First, check to see if Heritage Middle is your year round option school. You can do this by either calling Student Services at 562-6210 or by going to www.wcpss.net and clicking on the newcomer’s link. You will then click on Student Assignment Finder and enter your address there. If we are your year round option school you can apply during the application period which is traditionally held in February of every school year. This service can be found on the wcpss website listed earlier during the February application period. Those dates will be posted as soon as they are announced. It is done online and you will hear directly from Growth and Planning as to whether your application was accepted. Please bear in mind that when you apply to Heritage Middle you are not guaranteed a particular track. However, you do have a time period in which to deny the seat if you are accepted and we cannot accommodate you on the track that you feel would best suit your family’s needs. If you are accepted through this application period you will receive bus transportation and your application seat and track that you are assigned will roll over through the 8 th grade. There will be no need to apply every year.

Another option that is available to families is the transfer period that is traditionally held in May. The transfer form will be available during the May dates either at Heritage Middle in the Student Services Dept or online at www.wcpss.net. However, that form is not completed online. You will need to print it out and sent it to the address at the bottom of the form. If you would like to attend Heritage Middle we strongly suggest that you first apply during the application period. If you are denied at that time then you can apply for a transfer. We suggest this due to the fact that our seats for the upcoming year tend to fill up quickly and if you wait until May we may not have a seat available. Also, certain tracks fill up quickly and we may not be able to accommodate your student on the track that you feel accommodates your family’s needs the best. Transfer students do not receive transportation. If your student is accepted as a transfer student, it is the parent’s responsibility to transport the student to and from school each instructional day. If you do intend to apply for a transfer we suggest that you contact Gina Kentopp, our Data Manager and make her aware of your intentions. Once you are accepted as a transfer student your transfer status and the track that you are accepted on will roll over through the 8 th grade year. You will not need to apply yearly for a transfer.

 

2. We have just moved into the area and Heritage is not our base but is our year round option school. We have missed the period of time that we could fill out either an application or a transfer. What do we need to do to attend your school?

You will first need to go to your base school and register your child there. Please make them aware that you intend on trying for a transfer to Heritage Middle. You can either receive a transfer form from them or you can come to Student Services here at Heritage and fill out a transfer form. This form will be submitted to Growth and Planning and it is their decision as to whether you will be accepted to Heritage or if your child will attend their base school. Please bear in mind that we cannot guarantee your acceptance to Heritage nor can we guarantee that transportation to Heritage will be provided. These decisions are all made by Growth and Planning. You will also need to be willing to accept a track that is available and that track may not your first choice. We will also need to be made aware if there are siblings in another year round school that we need to try to coordinate track placements with that school.

 

3. My fifth grade student is currently attending a year round elementary school as an application student. Does this mean I automatically have a seat in the year round middle school?

No. The application status is only active through the last grade of the elementary school in which the application seat was given. This application status does not roll over to the middle school. You will need to apply to Heritage Middle during the February application period.

 

4. I’m confused by the terms base, application and transfer student. What does that mean?

When you are a BASE student it means that your address lists Heritage Middle as the school your child will attend. You are guaranteed a seat at Heritage Middle. However, we cannot guarantee a track assignment. Base students are provided bus transportation. When you are an APPLICANT student it means that Heritage Middle was not your base school but was your year round option. You applied through Growth and Planning and were accepted through the application process. Applicant students do have bus transportation. If you are a TRANSFER student it means that you applied and were accepted for a transfer to Heritage Middle through Growth and Planning. Transfer students do not have transportation provided.

 

5. Where is the Growth and Planning office located?

The Office of Growth and Planning is located at 3600 Wake Forest Road Raleigh NC 27609 .

 

6. I am the parent of a current transfer student at Heritage Middle. However, I am finding it difficult to continue to provide transportation for my child. What can I do?

You can apply for an application seat in February during the application period for the upcoming school year. If you are denied, you will not lose your transfer status. If you are accepted as an applicant student, bus transportation will be provided. However, there is no guarantee that you will receive a seat on the same track that you are currently on as a transfer student. The other option that you have available to you is to fill out another transfer form that will transfer you back to your base school. At your base school you will receive bus transportation. We can help you with that here at our Student Services Dept if you wish.

 

7. My student is a current base student at a year round elementary. Heritage Middle is our base year round middle school. Will my child stay on the same track in middle school that they are currently on?

Yes. Your child’s current track assignment will stay the same at Heritage Middle.

 

8. My student is an applicant student at a elementary year round school currently. I intend to apply to Heritage Middle for her 6 th grade year. Will she continue on the same track she is currently assigned?

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that a seat will be available for the track that your child is currently on. If you are assigned a different track you can call Gina Kentopp, our Data Manager at 562-6214 and she will see if there is a way to accommodate your needs. If there is not a seat available we will have a waiting list that you can place your name on that will be active for a short period of time and possibly a seat will come open on the track you prefer. If you are not satisfied with the track you are assigned you do have a window of time after you are accepted that you can decline the seat.

 

9. My child is currently a student at Heritage Middle. However our family circumstances have changed and I wish to change his track assignment to better accommodate our needs. What can I do?

We do not change a child’s track assignment once the school year starts except in extreme situations. If you feel you need a track change immediately you will need to contact your child’s guidance counselor in Student Services and speak with them. We do have a track change request period for the upcoming school year from March 2-20. There will be forms available in Student Services Dept that you can fill out and request a track change for the next school year.

 

10. I have further questions. Who do I need to speak with?

You can speak with the ladies in our Student Services Department at 562-6210 or Gina Kentopp, our Data Manager at 562-6214 and they will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.