Board of Education Approves 2011-12 School System Budget
May 3, 2011 - The Wake County Board of Education adopted the fiscal year 2011-12 budget for the school system at its meeting tonight.
The board action in its May 3 meeting followed discussions in work sessions and a public hearing. The board adopted the budget as recommended by Superintendent Tata last March.
The $1.25 billion recommended budget will:
- maintain all student teacher ratios at current levels;
- reduce class sizes in grades 4-5;
- increase support for five small, under-utilized, and/or declining enrollment elementary schools, including Aversboro, Baileywick, Hilburn Drive, Jefferys Grove and Root;
- create new instructional opportunities for Aversboro Elementary, Hilburn Drive Elementary, York Elementary, Carroll Middle and Knightdale High in the STEM Collaborative Network and for Timber Drive Elementary, Jeffreys Grove Elementary and Stough Elementary in the Global Schools Collaborative Network.
- ensure foreign language at all middle schools;
- maintain the 26 Pre-K classrooms that have been federally funded for the past two years; and
- expand alternative learning program seats to 2,106 from 1,346.
The board approved Superintendent Tata’s call for a $500 bonus for all full-time teachers with a pro-rated bonus for part-time teachers using one-time, non-recurring funds. Funding for this bonus comes from $2.8 million in fines and forfeitures, along with other non-recurring funds included in the current budget.
At its April 5 meeting, the board approved recommendations from state proposals that will eliminate one support position in every school and will reduce assistant principal months of employment. The budget plan also eliminates 46 positions in Wake County's Central Services operations.
The Wake County Public School System is expecting more than 3,300 additional students next year and will open two new schools for 2011-12. Walnut Creek Elementary School will open in Southeast Raleigh, and the Wake NC State University STEM Early College will open near the campus of NC State University.
In his news conference last Friday, Superintendent Tata noted the school board must approve its budget prior to the General Assembly finalizing the state budget, which accounts for more than half of the school system’s funding. If state or county funding differs from the funding picture on which the school budget was approved, the board will be required to reconcile its budget to the authorized funding from the county and state.
-wcpss-