At a community discussion Tuesday afternoon, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps shared a wide range of priorities for the district, including a new goal for paying off debt.
Phipps has only been on the job for about a month. But he identified quite a few challenges in the district: declining enrollment, inadequate state funding for exceptional children, chronic absenteeism, a mental health crisis and low staff morale.
There are opportunities, though. The district’s greatest asset, according to Phipps, is:
“Wonderful people in the school system, and wonderful people that are external to the school system that support us in many ways," he said.
And he’s counting on that support as the district makes its way through its remaining roughly $5 million in debt.
“I would love to think that we've got the resources and the generosity of our community to get that resolved before kids go home for the summer break or when they come back in August," Phipps said.
Phipps encouraged the audience to get involved in other ways, too, including volunteering and signing up to learn more about school finance.