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State orders WS/FCS to explain efforts to resolve financial challenges

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is concerned about Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ looming budget shortfall. 

The district overspent its budget last year by about $16 million, prompting a dip into fund balance and staffing cuts. Now, the issue is getting statewide attention. 

NCDPI's Chief Financial Officer Alexis Schauss relayed the situation to the State Board of Education at a recent meeting. 

"The immediate concern is cash flow and having sufficient funds to make their payroll, unless they receive additional funding through their county commissioners," Schauss said. 

She noted that there’s an increasing number of school districts struggling with their finances due to a declining student population, and other factors. 

Still, the state has directed the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education to provide a detailed explanation of how it’s mitigating the shortfall by May 15.

A spokesperson for the district says officials are working diligently to “right-size the budget," and have sought assistance from outside experts in public school finance administration.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.

Amy Diaz began covering education in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and High Country for WFDD in partnership with Report For America in 2022. Before entering the world of public radio, she worked as a local government reporter in Flint, Mich. where she was named the 2021 Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. Diaz is originally from Florida, where she interned at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and freelanced for the Tampa Bay Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, but truly got her start in the field in elementary school writing scripts for the morning news. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.

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