Tuesday night, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus presented her proposed $615.39 million Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget. The Board of Education voted to request $180.39 million in funding from Forsyth County to support that total budget.
The county budget request is based on a formula developed with WS/FCS and county officials to ensure predictable funding for the school system.
The district has instituted a series of cost-cutting measures to save $23.3 million for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Additional measures will need to be taken to save another $13 million to balance the budget. In the next few days, McManus will meet with stakeholders including school leaders, classified staff representatives, teachers, and the Forsyth County Association of Educators leadership to discuss possible cost-saving measures.
McManus shared data showing that while the overall funding for the district is declining due to lower student enrollment and the loss of federal COVID-relief funds, the needs of students have increased. WS/FCS has seen increases in the number of multi-lingual learners and students receiving exceptional services. This year, 78 percent of WS/FCS students are economically disadvantaged – up from 48 percent in 2021-2022.
Tuesday night, the school board also approved a $48,000 contract for HIL Consultants to assist the Finance Department to close out the 2024-2025 budget year and ensure appropriate budget processes, protocols, and controls are in place.
McManus said that going forward, the district’s chief financial officer will provide a finance report at the first Board of Education meeting each month. The district is also working with the NC Auditor’s office to create a data dashboard for additional transparency.