RALEIGH - The Wake County school board today gave final approval to a budget that asks county commissioners for a record $54.7 million increase to operate schools in the coming fiscal year.

The school board tacked on $19 million to the budget previously developed by Superintendent Del Burns, saying it was too bare bones. The additional money would cover items such as increased services for academically gifted students, more literacy teachers and more gang-prevention efforts.

The budget also calls for a $25 increase in parking fees for high school students, which would raise $141,000 and help offset increased security costs. It would raise the annual fee from $120 to $145.

The budget vote was 7-1, with school board member Ron Margiotta the lone dissenter.

“We’re asked to prepare a budget that’s good for education in this county,” said school board member Ann McLaurin. “To ask for anything less is irresponsible.”

The proposed budget now goes to county commissioners, several of whom have already warned that even the $35 million increase proposed by Burns was too much. Commissioners have pledged to adopt a revenue-neutral property tax rate, which would be nearly impossible to achieve if the school board got all the money it wanted.

Commissioners control the purse strings. This new budget request could lead to heated bickering over school funding before commissioners adopt the budget in June.

Joe Bryan, chairman of the board of commissioners, said the school board’s budget request would require a significant tax increase. The school board sets education policy but the commissioners control the purse strings.

"The only way to come close to meeting this approach is at least a 3.5 to 4 cent tax increase," Bryan said. "In this economic climate that will be very difficult."

Margiottta criticized his colleagues for asking commissioners for an 18 percent funding increase. He said it was “cruel” to dangle these new programs before the public.

“We’re including a budget that’s totally unrealistic,” Margiotta said.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership have urged both boards to develop a multi-year funding formula for schools to try to end the annual fighting.

Last month, Burns presented a $1.2 billion operating budget that called for requesting $335.7 million from the commissioners, a 12-percent increase in local funding. He said most of the $35 million increase was based on growth, inflation and state-mandated pay raises.

The budget passed today requests $355.5 million from the commissioners.

During the ensuing budget discussion, school board members complained that the district was being sharply underfunded, especially compared with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. Even though Wake is now the largest school district in the state, Charlotte school leaders are asking their commissioners for $369.8 million.

Wake school board members asked administrators to draw up two lists: one looking at what could be cut if the commissioners stick to a revenue-neutral budget and another itemizing what could be offered if the district got as much as Charlotte.

A majority of the items on the higher-budget list were added by the school board.

The extra spending added today would:

- Hire teachers to offer foreign language at every elementary school: $4.5 million

- Pay a person at each school to be a technology facilitator: $4 million

- Increase services for academically gifted students: $3.3 million

- Add literacy teachers at middle and high schools: $2.8 million

Next page >