Guilford County Schools has requested $5.3 million from commissioners to help cover state-mandated teacher raises. But county leaders are hesitant to fulfill the ask.
The school district first made the request back in July, after the legislature passed historic salary increases for teachers.
The county budget had already been approved, but didn’t include enough funding to cover the raises, leaving the district with a deficit.
GCS Chief Financial Officer Tyler Beck reiterated the request at a recent commission meeting and explained the cuts they’ve already made.
“We closed bus routes. We’ve done the non-transport zone," Beck said. "I know everybody’s felt the increase in class sizes that we’ve had to do to reduce our staffing so that we can try to get to a balanced budget.”
Still, County Manager Victor Isler advised commissioners against approving the funding. He cited concerns about the next fiscal year in light of a newly approved constitutional amendment that will limit local governments’ abilities to raise property taxes.
School district officials will present a budget update at their next meeting on Nov. 10.