Economic Slowdown Pinches School System Budget
Budget Reduction Summary
| What | How Much |
| Total School Level Cuts
88% of total operating budget |
$6,474,527 |
| Total Central Services 12% of total operating budget | $2,703,886 |
| Capital Outlay | $2,000,000 |
| Total Reductions | $11,178,413 |
The national economic downturn is being felt locally as the Wake County Public School System Board of Education approved $11.2 million in reductions from its budget. The reductions were in response to a requirement to return $5.47 million to the state as well as a pending request from Wake County to return $5.7 million.
At its Dec. 2 meeting, the Board approved the staff’s recommendations which attempted to minimize impact on classrooms and existing staff. Staff’s recommendation also considered the possibility of additional budget reductions later in the fiscal year. If further reductions are necessary, a more direct impact on classrooms and employee funding formulas is possible.
While efforts continue to minimize impacts on classrooms, each school will have a $7.25 per student reduction in funds for instructional supplies and classroom materials. “Principals knew we were going to be affected as a system by the poor economy and were concerned when they heard we were being asked to cut $11.2 million,” said WCPSS Chief Business Officer David Neter. “Since the board gave its approval to the reductions, we’ve heard from some principals that they were relieved the cuts didn’t have a greater impact on their schools.”
On a percentage basis, most of the cuts were absorbed by Central Services. State funding was reduced by 1.45 percent for Central Services and 0.73 percent for schools. Local funding was reduced 2.88 percent for Central Services and 0.49 for schools.
Neter said the reductions for Central Services include an extension of an existing 60-day freeze on vacant positions to 90 days. This will mean unfilled positions will be vacant longer and impact Central Services ability to support schools. Out-of-state travel has been frozen on a system-wide basis. School field trips are currently exempted. The purchase of replacement fixed assets and new buses will be deferred keeping the immediate impact away from schools and personnel.
“We’ve responded to the current challenge with these reductions, however as we approach the end of the fiscal year, with our resources already expended, our flexibility becomes more limited,” Neter said “Should further reductions become necessary, our ability to protect classrooms becomes more difficult,” he added.
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