DURHAM -- During a town hall meeting Friday at Hillside High School, state Rep. Mickey Michaux received news that may cause more teacher layoffs at Hillside and other schools across the state.
A Medicaid bill that would have brought $488 million to North Carolina, money that has already been included in next year's state budget, had failed in the U.S. House of Representatives, he said.
"Our only hope now is for that bill to go before the Senate and have them put that bill back in," he said. "If we don't get that money we will have to go back to square one."
Michaux, senior chairman of the state House appropriations committee, did give a sliver of hope: next year's state budget calls for an extra $126 million in lottery money for all school districts. How much each district gets depends on the number of students it has.
"It is up to you all to make the decision as to where you want to put the money," he said. "If you use that money properly we will not have to lose any teachers."
Minnie Forte-Brown, Durham school board chairwoman, was elated to hear that news.
"Thank you so much because we need it," she said.
Friday's meeting was sponsored by the Umbrella Coalition, a group of Hillside students, teachers and parents seeking for more money for Durham Public Schools. It followed two marches, one led by the coalition, where hundreds rallied outside the county administration building.
The school board, in an effort to fully fund a $405 million budget for next year, is asking for an extra $13 million from commissioners to save 237 teaching jobs being cut at the end of the school year. The county manager has offered $6.1 million in his proposed budget thanks to a 6 percent property tax-rate increase.
The extra lottery money, if it comes, would help the district meet the $6.9 million it needs to save the remaining jobs. But it could delay school repairs, new construction and debt payment, which is where the lottery money usually goes.
"Deferring repairs doesn't really feel like very sound practice or economic policy either," said Heidi Carter, school board member. "But as we all know, these choices are all painful. It's a little like choosing your poison, and the least toxic way is to put teachers in the classroom."
Such measures would help teachers such as Love Anderson. She had up to 45 students - but only 25 desks - in her math classroom this year.
"I have had students walk into my door, take one look at the room and say I can't do this," she told the elected officials.
More students may be walking out of Anderson's door with $13 million in federal stimulus funds running out in 2011.
"I would hope that we can come together, state, school district and counties, over the upcoming year because we fall off a cliff next year when the stimulus funds go away," said County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow.
