Wake could reduce high school assistant principal jobs to help balance budget

The Wake County school system could cut positions this year and potentially close some schools in the future to help balance school budgets.

School administrators presented $10.5 million in budget adjustments on Tuesday meant to replace cuts in special education teaching positions that had been rejected by the school board. While half of the adjustments would be made up from budget savings, half would come in cuts in programs, jobs and services.

“This proposed budget is going to reflect what I think is a thoughtful and measured approach, one that prioritizes those core operations,” Superintendent Robert Taylor told the school board on Tuesday.

While it’s not on the list for now, administrators said Tuesday they have also begun looking at potential cost savings from closing schools in the future.

Board members will weigh whether to accept the proposed alternative budget adjustments as well as to change Taylor’s proposed $2.3 billion operating budget for the 2026-27 school year.

Taylor has proposed asking the Wake County Board of Commissioners for a funding increase of $25.2 million – which is much less than the average $49.7 million increase provided in recent years. The Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association off Educators has called on the school board to not make any cuts and to ask for more than a $25.2 million increase.

Board nixes special ed teacher cuts

Budget tensions have been elevated since the district announced last month a proposal to eliminate 130 special education teaching positions. Cutting the jobs would save Wake more than $10 million, but it drew NCAE protests outside of several Wake schools.

The school board complained, prompting Taylor to say a week later he would drop the elimination of the special education positions.

Administrators have said budget cuts will be needed this year when state and federal funding is uncertain and enrollment has fallen. Wake remains North Carollina’s largest school district with more than 160,000 students.

Administrators presented $5.2 million in “strategic realignment” cuts on April 7. Most of the cuts would come from $2.5 million from the transportation budget and $2.2 million in how the district allots positions for literacy coaches at elementary schools..

List of new proposed budget cuts

On Tuesday, administrators presented options to cover for not eliminating the 130 special-ed positions. The adjustments include:

• Use $4 million in local savings to cover some of the special education positions for one more year.
• Use $1 million in utility savings from the Community Schools program that rent school facilities for community use.
• Change the funding formula for high school assistant principals by $1.2 million. Ten schools would lose one position and one school would lose two positions.
• Reduce $1.2 million for high school enhancement teacher positions. It covers things such as the arts and physical education.
• Reduce $500,000 from the Restart program that provides additional assistance to continually low-performing schools.
• Remove $440,289 in instructional support positions used for tutoring.
• Remove seven vacant positions in Academic Advancement and Chief of Staff and Strategic Planning Divisons to save $836,489.
• Reduce central office budget for contracted services, supplies and subscriptions by $523,000
• Reduce costs in the dental plan by $811,000. Wake says it wouldn’t increase costs for employees but could limit them to two cleanings a year and encourage them to use in-network dentists.

“It’s going to be hard making $10.5 million in adjustments without impacting schools somewhat,” said Terri Kimzey, senior director for budget.

The school board agreed Tuesday to include most of $10.5 million in budget changes. But board members asked for additional information on the cuts to the tutoring positions, Restart Program and high school program enhancement positions.

Do high schools need as many assistant principals?

Most Wake high schools now have between four and seven assistant principals. Funding for posiitions is based on student enrollment.

Wake’s biggest high schools have more than 2,600 students.

Positions have already been alloted to schools for next school year. Administrators said if the cuts are made in assistant principals they’d be phased in.

For instance, Wake might not replace vacant positions that open up next school year.

Could Wake close schools?

Some school districts such as Chapel Hill-Carrboro will vote this year on closing schools as a way to save money.

School closures aren’t on the table yet in Wake. But in what administrators called an execrcise, they estimated that Wake could save $800,000 from combining two under-enrolled elementary schools and $1 million from combining two under-enrolled middle schools.

Wake didn’t identify which schools were used in the analysis. In this scenario, the merged schools would become a multi-track year-round school, which is a calendar that allows a building to increase how many studnets it can hold.

If closures were to happen, Taylor said it wouldn’t happen before the 2027-28 school year. School board member Chris Heagarty, who chairs the budget committee, suggested discussing the issue at a facilities committee meeeting.

Wake NCAE says no cuts should be made

Wake NCAE has said the district should ask for what it needs from the county, including increasing funding for special education positions.

Wake NCAE picketed outside the April 7 board meeting. The chants from the more than 200 protesters could be heard inside the board meeting room.

Wake NCAE plans to have another rally at Tuesday’s board meeting and pack the budget public hearing with speakers.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the budget request on May 5.

This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 4:20 PM.

T. Keung Hui

The News & Observer

919-829-4534

T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.