Wake schools plan to cut $18M from special education. What’s the impact?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake plans $18M cut and 130 special-ed teaching positions next school year.
- District shifts CCR teacher duties; says staffing ratios stay within guidelines.
- Educators, parents urge board/county for more funding and warn of legal risks.
The Wake County school system plans to cut $18 million and 130 teaching positions from the special education budget next school year, sparking a backlash from educators and parents.
Special-education teachers received an email Tuesday afternoon informing them about the budget cuts and how they’ll be able to apply for other jobs in the district. The news came as Superintendent Robert Taylor presented a budget overview to the school board where he warned that budget reductions would be needed this year.
Wake is planning to cut 9% of its special-education teaching workforce. Wake says impacted employees will be notified by March 25.
“We recognize that changes like this can create uncertainty, and we are committed to supporting our educators throughout this process while continuing to ensure students receive the services they need,” Lisa Allred, assistant superintendent for special education services, said in the email to teachers.
The message came as the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators and several special-education teachers urged the school board on Tuesday to reject the cuts. Wake NCAE wants the school district to increase special-education funding.
“Are you going to listen to a few out-of-touch administrators who sit on the sidelines and not ask the county commission for the funds that they actually need to stop the bleeding?” Emily Hooks, vice president of Wake NCAE, said during school board public comments. “Or are you going to do what’s right and listen to what thousands of workers in the front lines are saying that is needed?”
What Wake will cut in special education
Wake County has 22,000 special education students and 1,400 special education teachers.
North Carolina provides about $5,500 for each special-education student. But the state caps the funding at 13% of a district’s enrollment. That means 14,919 students across North Carolina aren’t getting special-education funding from the state.
In addition to what Wake says is insufficient state funding, the school district is citing issues such higher costs for meeting needs of special education students.
Wake is planning to make cuts in cross categorical resource (CCR) teachers who support special education students. Wake says none of the $18 million in cuts will impact specialized programs or self-contained classrooms that serve only special-needs students.
Wake says CCR teachers will serve more students now, which may affect how they spend time across classrooms. But Wake says staffing ratios will remain within or below state guidelines.
“This is not a decision we take lightly,” the district said in a statement Wednesday. “We understand that any change connected to special education raises real concerns for families and staff, and those concerns are valid.
“These adjustments are being made in response to significant financial pressures, but every decision was guided by a clear priority: continuing to meet the needs of students.”
Cuts will hurt ‘vulnerable population’ of students
The speakers at Tuesday’s school board meeting warned that the cuts will have a significant negative impact on students. They said Wake should be increasing resources, not cutting them.
“You don’t cut the budget of your most vulnerable population and expect better results,” said Susan Book, the parent of a Wake special-education student. “If you really cared, show me with action and show me with funds. Fund the future of special education and you will again see the best of Wake County and not the worst.”
Book said Wake will only see more instances of the $1.3 million in settlements that Wake paid to families of special-needs students last year after they sued or threatened legal action.
Steve Svedi, a high school special education teacher and the father of a special-needs student, said many special-education parents no longer trust the district.
“You guys hold my son’s education and my potential future employment in your hands,” Svedi told the board. “But I’m here asking for the things that I think my son and other students like him need. The county commission may say no, but the bare minimum we can do is ask them for the things that we know our students need.”
Superintendent defends budget proposal
Taylor, the superintendent, defended his plan to only ask county commissioners for an increase of around $25 million this year. That’s significantly less than the $49.7 million average increase that’s been provided by the county over the past four years.
Taylor cited how property tax revenues are lower than what was anticipated so they had to make an “appropriate ask.” The county is only anticipating a net increase of $7.8 million in property tax revenue this year.
“It’s never that the superintendent does not ask for what is needed,” Taylor said after the public comments. “My job is to ensure that I develop a budget based on a request that I know the citizens in this community are able to support from a tax perspective.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 2:56 PM.
