Wake superintendent wants $58 million more for schools. Some say that’s not enough.
New Wake County Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor wants a $58.3 million increase in local education dollars, but he is receiving complaints that it doesn’t do enough to raise pay for employees.
Taylor unveiled on Tuesday a proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year that asks the Wake County Board of Commissioners to provide a 8% increase in funding. Under the proposed $2.2 billion operating budget, Taylor wants $702.6 million from commissioners.
Taylor, who was sworn into office Sept. 29, said his budget helps address the loss of one-time federal COVID dollars. But, to the dismay of school employees, it doesn’t include previously planned multi-year raises for school employees.
“The administration has developed a budget that focuses on Wake County’s commitment to the strategic plan and an equitable distribution of resources while simultaneously preparing to address the fiscal cliff,” Taylor told the school board.
The school board will review the budget before voting on it and sending it to commissioners.
Wake County Manager David Ellis will recommend how much to fund the school district, and commissioners will vote on the budget in June.
Can the county afford increase?
The all-Democratic Board of Commissioners has historically been very supportive of the school system.
Since the 2017-18 school year, local funding has risen by 49.5%, or an increase of more than $213 million a year. During that same time period, enrollment has dropped 434 students to 159,995 this school year.
Last year, commissioners provided a $50 million increase that helped raise the minimum salaries for school employees to $17 an hour.
But the county’s ability to fund another big school increase could be hampered by the recent property revaluation. Residential properties rose an average of 53% in tax value from the last revaluation in 2020, The News & Observer previously reported.
COVID aid going away
During last month’s planning retreat, school administrators identified $44 million in funding needs. That’s before other items are added to the budget.
Taylor’s budget would use new local dollars to replace one-time federal COVID aid that has paid for newly hired positions such as more counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers.
“These are positions critical to supporting the mental health needs of our students,” Taylor said.
Taylor also wants to keep the permanent substitute teacher positions that were added using COVID aid. Every school now has a full-time teacher who fills in as a substitute whenever a teacher is out for the day.
Taylor also wants to use local funding to match “required” increases. This include the local share of state pay raises for employees, money for opening new schools and increased funding for charter schools.
Under state law, charter schools receive money from the school districts where their students are assigned.
Where would the money go?
School administrators identified Tuesday several areas that would be funded by the $58.3 million increase, including:
▪ Keep the behavioral staff positions funded by COVID dollars — $13.8 million
▪ Match state’s share of projected 3% increased in salaries — $9.9 million
▪ Increase in funds transferred to charter schools — $9 million
▪ Keep the permanent substitute teacher position at each school paid by COVID dollars — $7.6 million
▪ Opening of new schools and school changes — $4 million
▪ Provide extra pay for newly hired teachers who have master’s degrees — $3.1 million
▪ Keep the “extended care,” or bus riders who are on campus due to bus delays, that had been paid for with COVID aid — $2.5 million
The budget provides some relief for families by reducing the $200 per year student parking fee at high schools. It would drop to $175.
Local pay raises on hold
Taylor’s budget does not advance the multi-year plan to provide raises for teachers and support staff.
In recent years, Wake has raised the minimum salaries for its lowest paid employees — such as teacher assistants, cafeteria workers, custodians and secretaries — from $11.80 an hour to now $17 an hour. But the new budget wouldn’t raise them this year to $18 an hour.
Support staff are still set to get a 3% pay raise from the state this year.
Some teachers are also expected to get an increase in their state pay this year. But Taylor’s new budget doesn’t include an increase in the percentage that the district supplements the state’s base pay.
It would cost $8 million to raise the minimum salary to $18 an hour for support staff and to give them a 4% raise. It would cost $7.3 million to give teachers a 4% increase to the salary supplement.
David Neter, Wake’s chief business officer, said they hope to advance the pay raises in future years.
But Christina Spears, president of the Wake County chapter of the N.C. Association of Educators, told the board that it needs to “do what you said you were going to do.” Spears was joined by several Wake NCAE members who urged the school board to include the previously planned raises.
Melanie Harris, a bus driver, told the board that some of her colleagues are leaving because they can’t afford to pay their bills on their current salary.
“We must stand together to demand the increased wages,” Chris Tuttell, a media specialist, told the board during public comment.
This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 8:14 PM.
