Wake schools want $29.9 million more from county. COVID-19 may stop that proposal.
Wake County Superintendent Cathy Moore wants an additional $29.9 million in local dollars for the school system at a time when the coronavirus pandemic could limit how much money is available.
The new infusion of money is necessary to help the school district meet its obligations of educating its 162,000 students, Moore said Tuesday. But she also acknowledged that the coronavirus outbreak could cause an economic recession that makes it harder to get the money this year from the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
“I also understand the economic fallout from COVID-19 has likely just begun,” Moore said at Tuesday’s school board meeting. “Should it persist, the needs of the community could quickly outpace the county’s resources. That is why I am proposing a budget increase that is much smaller than recent years.”
Last year, commissioners provided a $45 million increase for the school system.
Moore is proposing a 6-percent increase in funding from the county. She wants commissioners to provide $545.9 million of the school district’s $1.8 billion operating budget for the 2020-21 school year. Wake is North Carolina’s largest school system.
The school board will review the plan before making a budget request to the commissioners.
The coronavirus pandemic has closed the state’s public schools since mid-March. Wake is doing things such as running feeding programs for students during the closure and distributing computers to students while they learn from home.
Extra COVID-19 pay given to some workers
On Tuesday, the school board approved a plan to provide a stipend of up to $75 a week for hourly employees who are involved in the feeding and technology distribution programs. The pay will cover this week to May 15 at a cost of $125,000.
The all-Democratic board of commissioners has been supportive of the school system. But county staff warned commissioners on Monday that the coronavirus pandemic is expected to reduce the amount of tax revenue available this year.
School and county planners project the district may only grow by 33 students this fall — the lowest total in more than 30 years. Moore said the district’s growth may end up being much higher because several of the new charter schools opening this year are delaying their openings.
David Neter, Wake’s chief business officer, also said they may see an enrollment bump from families moving from private schools due to the expected recession.
Neter told the school board that some cost-cutting measures are being developed due to the potential recession.
“If things do get challenging, we will do everything we can to keep the impact away from the schools,” he said.
Moore and Neter said $18.4 million of the $29.9 million increase is needed to fund state requirements, including more money for charter school students and rate increases for employee state benefits.
Due to the uncertainty in the economy, Neter said the budget was revised to reduce the amount requested for some programs. For instance, Neter said they want $3 million more from the county this year for a pay raise for support staff, which includes people such as bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and teacher assistants. The original request could have been $7.9 million.
The budget includes $1.7 million more for new programs, including $1 million to hire additional counselors and social workers and $500,000 for magnet school programs.
The budget calls for taking $8.7 million out of the district’s rainy day fund to help balance the budget.
In the midst of the economic uncertainty, Moore said funding schools is still essential for the county’s future.
“Our shared vision is found in the hopes and dreams of our children,” Moore said. “I believe this proposed budget and our continued work together can keep those hopes and dreams alive while our community works together in a time of crisis.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 6:54 PM.
