Swift Creek Elementary (Cary, Garner, Tryon: houses, construction, schools)

[asd34sfvcc]

Hi there,

We've moved to Cary and our base school is Swift Creek Elementary. I've talked to a few of my neighbors who have small kids, and all of them are avoiding SCE as plague.
- Some said there is bad management.
- Other - school have financial problems that is reflected on quality of the education.
- I was also told that 2 years from now or so the school will be demolished and kids will be somewhere in warehouse in Garner until the new one is built. Is this true? I wasn't able to find any info online.

I saw that the ratings (NC School Report Cards) for this school declined over the years and are in general lower compared to some other schools in the area.

I'm going to tour the school to see things for myself, but would appreciate more of the insider feedback from parents/employees. What kind of problems this schools is facing? We've been to a school that has low ratings and it is a great school. But the amount of negative feedback I gathered so far through the word-of-mouth is discouraging.

Please advice.

[farebluenc]

I’ve read that Swift Creek is being rebuilt and will be in Garner for a year. The bonus is that your child will get to attend a brand new school. We’re going to be in a swing space too and see the new school as a positive for our child although she’ll have a longer commute for one year. It’s a magnet, so we’re in for the long haul.

[n24scube]

WCPSS has Swift Creek construction schedule posted as starting Summer 2022. Perhaps they're wrong if a current parent says differently, but that's what's posted publicly on all school construction projects as of 2/28/19.

Swift Creek in particular
all WCPSS construction projects

2 of my kids went there and it was a good (small) school. We had no complaints, and they went on to do fine at Dillard Middle and Athens Drive HS. Clearly things change over time, but you can do far worse than most any school in Western Wake County

[n24scube]

Don't know if this was always proposed in the rebuilding of Swift Creek Elementary, but the entire block of houses across the Yates Mill Pond & Tryon Road from the school has been sold to the Wake County Board of Education. I presume this is to build the school there instead of rebuild on its current property? Has anyone heard anything new?

here is one of the parcels
https://maps.raleighnc.gov/imaps/?pin=0772965034
the 5 properties to the north of the linked property above are also now WCPSS property.
Unless the realign Yates Mill intersection with Tryon, the new space isn't that much larger than the existing property.

What's the time line as of late for rebuilding this school?

[tuvent08]

Our first grader is at Swift Creek Elementary, and we've had the opposite experience of what's been described. The PTA is very strong, and the leadership has been extraordinary, with the culture permeating the entire school. My work involves building the capacity of schools, leaders, and districts throughout NC and beyond, and I've been very happy with SCES. I wouldn't send my child there if I weren't, and I'm looking forward to sending my son there in the near future.