Board of Education Approves 2007-08 Plan for Student Success
April 24, 2007 - The Wake County Board of Education approved the Plan for Student Success with a unanimous voice vote at its April 24 meeting, seeking to meet the impact of dramatic student enrollment growth on the school system.
The county appropriation that provides most of the local funding totals $305.7 million. That includes the school system request for an increase in the county appropriation of $29.9 million.
The Board of Education’s Plan for Student Success will go to the Wake County Commissioners on May 15. The school board and county commissioners will have a joint meeting to review the plan on May 16.
Board approval of the plan followed two budget work sessions held March 20 and April 10 and a public hearing held on March 20.
The board agreed to add to the superintendent’s proposal $246,799 for extra duty pay for high school band and string teachers; $190,503 for lacrosse coaches for boys and girls high school teams; $11,506 for a campus manager for East Wake high schools campus; and $15,465 for charter school adjustments due to these changes.
Planning for growth
Superintendent Del Burns said the school system is seeking to keep pace with thousands of new students entering the schools. Enrollment grew by 7,500 for 2006-07 and is projected to increase by more than 8,000 for 2007-08.
The largest increase in funding is in response to growth. The plan includes $16.5 million to open seven new schools and meet the needs of an additional 8,000 students. The new schools opening for 2007-08 include East Garner Elementary, North Forest Pines Elementary, Sanford Creek Elementary, East Cary Middle, Wendell Middle, East Wake School of Engineering Systems and East Wake School of Arts, Education and Global Studies.
Legislative changes for salary increases and employer's matching benefit changes require the school district to spend an additional $9.6 million.
The plan includes $4.6 million in savings, removing one-time costs from the previous year and budget reductions.
The school system receives 61 percent of its funding from the state, 33 percent from local government and six percent from the federal government.
3-year plan based on strategic directives
The Plan for Student Success describes a three-year budget plan. It provides an in-depth and detailed business description of financial needs based on growing student enrollment and the school system’s four strategic directives:
- Rededicating the focus on teaching and learning;
- Retaining, recruiting and training high quality employees;
- Developing and implementing systems and structures to support schools, ensure accountability and engage the community;
- Expanding fiscal accountability.
Approximately 82 percent of the school system’s total funding pays for employee salaries and benefits, and approximately 95 percent of the school system’s positions are school based.
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