The Wake County school board passed a budget Tuesday that includes more than $10 million in cuts to the school district's operations while also requesting a $25.3 million increase in county funds from the Wake County's Board of Commissioners.
The school board has scrambled to produce a balanced budget after district staff reported that there was no longer enough federal grant funding to maintain its current special education staffing. After public outcry over a proposed $18 million budget cut to special education, the board pushed the district to look for alternatives.
The final county funding request the school board approved is in line with the dollar amount Superintendent Robert Taylor recommended in his initial budget proposal, although the board has made many adjustments to line items in order to keep special education teachers.
The new budget cuts include: reducing the number of assistant principals at large high schools, eliminating vacant central service positions, ending a tutoring program and delaying a cost-of-living raise to teachers' extra-duty pay.
The board voted 7-to-2 to approve the budget. Board member Jennifer Job said she made a last-minute decision to vote for it.
"I'm going to vote for the budget because it is, I want to be very clear, the best allocation of the extremely limited funding that is being made available, and considering that the county has to raise property taxes to even get that done is part of my consideration," Job said.
On Monday the Wake County manager presented a county budget proposal that includes a 2 cent property tax increase, which amounts to about a $90 increase for a home valued at $450,000. That tax hike would be necessary to pay for county needs, including the school board's proposed budget.
Christina Gordon voted against the budget.
"This is an urgent time," Gordon said during the board's Tuesday work session. "From my viewpoint, we cannot wait until next budget. So I respectfully ask that we ask for more."
School board member asks, "Why are we not asking for more?"
During a budget discussion Tuesday afternoon, Gordon advocated for requesting additional county funds beyond the $25 million increase that district staff had negotiated with county commissioners.
"I guess I will ask the elephant in the room: Why are we not asking for more, if we know that that's what we need?" Gordon said.
"One of the things I've tried to do is to be very in tune to what the county's financial situation is," responded Superintendent Robert Taylor. "They've also had to do a tax increase just to cover the budget that we have now."
State law requires all school boards to pass a balanced budget, and school boards do not have taxing authority, so they rely on county funding when they want to increase their budgets. This year, school districts are hungry for funding as they face a delayed state budget, rising inflation on everything from electricity to diesel fuel, and falling revenue from lower enrollment.
In a belt-tightening budget season, the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators has been advocating for more special education funding. The association made this the focus of their annual budget campaign, even before the district proposed cutting special education teachers. Special education teachers attended the board's budget hearing, and called for more positions to lighten the load of their long hours and large caseloads.
"They're the ones that are coming to us and emailing us and coming to the board and speaking before us, and we all know they need help," said board member Cheryl Caulfield. "I think they're desperate for help."
Outline of budget changes
The final budget includes the following adjustments:
- $2.2 million reduction to elementary school literacy coaches in some higher-performing schools.
- $1.2 million reduction to assistant principal allocations: Eleven large high schools will have their number of assistant principals reduced by one or two positions so that no school has more than 5 assistant principals.
- $1.1 million to pause a cost-of-living increase to extra duty stipends for department chairs, beginning teacher coaches, athletic coaches, grade-level chairs and some club advisors.
- $836,489 to remove seven vacant positions in central services: These positions include a secretary to an assistant superintendent that no longer exists and other director level positions.
- $523,000 reduction to central services: These are non-personnel reductions to central services, supplies, and subscriptions.
- $440,000 to end NC Education Corps tutors: This program was originally funded with federal COVID-19 relief funds to provide intensive tutoring to students. The tutors work part-time and are not employees of the school district. Funding for this program has shifted to local sources since federal funding ended.
- $811,000 reduction to dental coverage: This would keep the dental insurance plan for school employees but change the benefit so that individuals on the plan are covered for two dental cleanings per year instead of four cleanings.
- $124,601 cut to supplemental funds for Restart schools: Low-performing "Restart" schools receive supplemental funding they can use to hire additional staff or for other student support. The school board indicated these funds could be replaced if the district has any savings during the school year. This cut will help make up for additional funds for a $15,000 matching grant to support success coaches in two schools.
Previously proposed budget cuts that were not made:
- $1.2 million to program enhancement teachers: allotments for dance, theater, music, art, physical education or world language teachers in high schools. A reduction in this allotment would have led to fewer classes or sections being offered.
- $2.3 million reduction in master's pay: A board member proposed requiring newly hired teachers to work for Wake County Schools for three years before a teacher is eligible for a salary supplement for having a master's degree. The board chose to keep this incentive for teacher recruitment since Durham Public Schools offers it.
