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Local School Boards Urge Lawmakers To Help With Funding Gaps

Like many districts, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is creating reopening plans as they await more guidance from Gov. Cooper and state officials. The school system says additional funding will be needed to implement directives and other COVID-19 safety measures. KERI BROWN/WFDD

School districts across the state are grappling with how to safely reopen in the fall. The Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School Board is sending a message to state lawmakers. 

The school board approved a resolution on Thursday. It requests that Gov. Cooper and the North Carolina General Assembly consider several issues regarding reopening plans and COVID-19.

The letter highlights the needs of the district and the problems it's facing. For example, they want flexibility with school calendars and support for virtual learning.

School system leaders say in order to comply with the social distancing, hygiene, and other requirements, the district will incur an additional $45 million in costs. Shai Woodbury, chair of the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School Board, says they need help now.

“We definitely want to put [forward] a resolution that brings home the point that to really reopen at any phase right now is not realistic based on the resources.”

Guilford County Schools recently approved a similar resolution that was sent to members of Congress. The letter says public schools expect a decline in revenues from the pandemic, which could lead to budget shortfalls.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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