Multi-Year Funding Needs

  • As we begin to move away from the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the list below provides updates on some of the funding needs that encompass multiple budget cycles.

    Formally introduced in 2019, the following summary is designed to provide an overview of longer-term needs facing our teachers, students and support staff.

    The list, which is presented in three sections, is not exhaustive. The first section lists multi-year needs that have been fulfilled thanks to generous funding. The second section outlines the most pressing financial needs. The last section, while less pressing, lists long-term expenses that will still factor into the school district’s budget requests. 

     

    Fulfilled needs

    K-3 Class Size Phase-In: The new positions needed to meet the requirements of this state mandate have largely been funded. 

    Elementary School Assistant Principals: To save tax dollars and accommodate as many students as possible, some elementary schools in Wake County now enroll more than 1,100 children. The need for an additional assistant principal is obvious well before enrollments reach that level. A multi-year effort that began in 2019 has resulted in all elementary schools receiving an additional assistant principal when enrollment reaches 850 children. 

     

    Priority needs

    Non-Certified Salary Increase: While some recent local funding has supported increases in non-certified salaries, pay for these employees has lagged well behind market rates since the Great Recession. As outlined in the 2022-2023 request, there is an immediate need to make salaries for bus drivers, custodians, CNS workers, instructional assistants and other non-certified staff more competitive in today’s job market. 

    Instructional Support Technicians: WCPSS acquired approximately 135,000 laptops and 6,000 iPads during the pandemic. In the coming years, an additional $22 million to $25 million will be spent annually on devices and classroom technology. The requested funding over six years, starting back in 2019-20, will support the hiring of full-time Instructional Support Technicians (ISTs) and provide startup funds for the establishment of the positions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WCPSS used federal stabilization funds in 2021-22 for this funding request. WCPSS intends for these costs to return to the recurring operating budget when the one-time federal dollars expire. We are requesting a funding increase of $960,000 each of the next 3 years.

    School Support for Social Emotional Learning: One of the surest paths to safe, secure and academically successful children is an appropriate number of counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses. This was a major priority prior to the pandemic and has only increased in importance since. Despite the strides made, our schools still have fewer of these positions than the national recommendation. We are in the midst of a seven-year plan for expanding school support for social emotional learning. The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) used Medicaid funds in 2020-21 and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds in 2021-22 to support social emotional positions. We expect these costs to return to the recurring operating budget when the federal dollars expire.

    Maintenance and Operations Formula Alignment: Maintenance and operations of our facilities is currently funded at 87.5% of the industry standard. The adjustment needed to reach industry standard is approximately $20 million. We are requesting $3 million for 2022-23 and $5.7 million for each of the next three years to bring M&O funding to industry standard. We used federal stabilization funds in 2021-22 for this request and intend for these costs to return to the recurring operating budget when the one-time federal dollars expire. This request shifts $2 million from federal to local sources.

     

    Standing needs

    Certified Staff Salaries: In addition to making non-certified staff salaries competitive in the current job market, we also must continue to do everything we can to compensate our certified teachers and administrators at fair and competitive levels. This budget request calls for additional funding to pay for state-mandated salary increases and to increase the local salary supplement by 2.5 percent. However, continued advocacy that calls for our state leaders to aggressively increase teacher compensation is needed and will continue.

    New Schools: While the rapid enrollment growth of past decades has abated, some areas of the county continue to attract new students every week, and many schools continue to experience overcrowding. Capacity caps prohibit the enrollment of new students at 25 schools this year.  We are opening four new schools in 2022-23, two elementary schools, one middle school and an Early College high school in partnership with Wake Technical Community College. Our long-range plan anticipates we will continue to build additional schools in coming years.

    Charter Schools: While the school district has no control over the approval or operation of new charter schools, they have a significant effect on the district’s budget. The 2022-23 budget proposal estimates $3.8 million in additional local money will pass through the school district’s budget and be given to charters as required by state law. That would bring the county’s total annual expense for charter schools to an estimated $52 million.