School Board Balances Budget Following State Cuts
August 20, 2009 - - The Wake County Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday, August 18, that reduced the Wake County Public School System's budget for the 2009-10 school year. The school board's action followed a $35.1 million cut in state funding.
"Our board had to make a series of difficult decisions in supporting learning and teaching in this economic environment," said Superintendent Del Burns. "Their highest priority has been ensuring our ability to support students and sustain our schools over the long term."
The state budget adjustments included $13.4 million in line item reductions mandated by the North Carolina General Assembly and a $21.7 million "Discretionary/Flexibility Reduction."
The mandated line item reductions included:- Central Office Administrators: $0.8 million (18 percent reduction in state funding)
- Improving Student Accountability: $2.8 million
- Literacy Coaches: $0.2 million
- Mentors-Teachers and Instructional Support: $0.2 million
- Non-instructional Support: $1.0 million (custodial and clerical)
- School Technology: $0.9 million
- Staff Development: $0.8 million (eliminating all state funding; some federal and local funding remains)
- Textbooks: $4.7 million (no new textbooks will be adopted)
- Transportation: $2.0 million
The amount identified for "Discretionary/Flexibility Reduction" in the state budget was based on a class size increase in Grades 4-12 and the elimination of funding for third-grade teacher assistants which was considered by the General Assembly. Shortly before the budget was ratified on August 8, school districts were permitted greater discretion in implementing the cuts.
"By freezing hiring and allowing principals to hire up to 95 percent of their allotted personnel earlier this calendar year, we took proactive steps to manage the loss of state funding without creating additional confusion during the upcoming school year," said Superintendent Burns. "Due to the extent of mandated cuts to other areas and the fact that our schools were either already well into their classes or two weeks away from opening their doors to students, I recommended to our board that we maintain the course."
Federal Stimulus Money
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided additional resources to the state and school systems directly. This federal funding expires in two years.
The state is using $35.1 million in federal stimulus money to fund some non-instructional support positions including custodians and clerical staff in schools. Without alternative sources of revenue identified, funding for those positions will expire in 2011.
WCPSS received direct stimulus funding primarily for Title I schools and services for students with disabilities (IDEA). The Title I stimulus funding support includes a program providing math coaches in all Title I schools and adding new pre-Kindergarten classrooms. The IDEA funding will maintain employment for 920 teacher months and 80 pre-K teacher assistant months, as well as provide other support for teachers.
"Because federal stimulus money will only last for two years, we have to be very careful in the way we use it," said Chief Business Officer David Neter. "We do not want to build a dependency on that funding into our school system based only on the hope that other funding will replace it in 2011."
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