ZEBULON — East Wake High School principal and campus manager Craig Baker flashed a large picture of heavy equipment and showed a building in progress.

“What would have happened if they would have left the construction half the way through?” he asked members of the Zebulon Chamber of Commerce who gathered Tuesday to hear about the high school’s small-school concept. “That, in essence, is what I feel like we’re facing today.”

The Wake County Board of Education could dismantle a program that started in 2005 with a Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation grant. It only was completely implemented last year, Baker said.

The board is scheduled to review the high school’s status in a school board committee meeting on June 2. The committee is expected to review end of year test results. Though East Wake High School test results haven’t improved in the past, the schools’ graduation rates have, Baker said.

As part of the program, the high school’s 1,600 students were divided into four small schools: engineering, information technology, health science and arts, education and global studies.

Baker said money from the $1.5 million grant East Wake High School receives is also used for teacher training and coaching.

He said it’s important to keep the small schools in place because the students receive more individual instruction. Baker said that is especially needed at East Wake which has the highest free-and-reduced lunch ratio of any high school in the Wake County system.

“We have great kids. But there is a big difference western and eastern Wake county in the number of free-and-reduced lunch students,” he said. “Being poor doesn’t mean you can’t learn. You just have some challenges. We feel you put your resources where there is greatest need.”

Baker said the high school has made progress as a smaller entity. He said last year the School of Health Science had the highest graduation rate in the county at 98 percent The graduation rates at the other schools last year showed improvement over previous years too.

He said East Wake High School was considered a leader among the 11 high schools statewide that were awarded the Gates’ grants.

“We don’t have it perfect yet, but we’ve made great strides,” he said.

East Wake Education Foundation Executive Director Linda Johnson said fewer high-achieving students were opting to go to magnet schools since the four school concept started.

Baker said the school has the same number of advanced placement courses with small schools as a traditional high school. He said the schools will add a new AP course next year.

Baker also said students get direct encouragement from teachers to take more rigorous courses. He said more students are taking pre-calculus than before.

The school serves homeless kids and acts as a support system for them, Baker said.

He said teacher-student relationships for all students have been strengthened by having four high schools with 400 students at each.

“Our students will tell you that they know the students very well and that they know the teachers very well,” he said. “This is a great model. Let’s just give this some time,” said Baker. “We’re asking that the board give us some time.”