The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education heard an update on budget and cost saving measures during their meeting on Tuesday night.
Interim Superintendent Catty Moore cited a variety of circumstances behind the district’s $42 million shortfall for the current fiscal year. Issues included going over budget for transportation costs due to route inefficiencies, unexpectedly full staffing, overallocation of non-teaching positions, underbudgeting for this year’s charter school payment, going over budget on EC services, failure to budget for ESS substitute services, a lack of reconciliation after lower-than-expected county funding, and rolled over invoices from the previous fiscal year.
All of this money was put directly towards services that students depend on. Even so, the district will inevitably have to reduce some services to make up for the shortfall going forward.
Using money from several district accounts and reimbursements, most vendors will be paid by the end of the month and the shortfall will be reduced. During the meeting, the board members also unanimously approved a zero-interest loan from the child nutrition fund balance worth up to $6 million, which would further reduce the shortfall. This loan will not impact any child nutrition services.
A wide range of cost-saving measures have already been chosen for next year. Some of the biggest money-savers include the elimination of building-based subs and the ESS contract, supplemental programs like iReady and Panorama, December bonuses, district cell phones, and take home cars. Eighty-one positions have been cut from the central office.
The district will also save $3.5 million by eliminating bussing to choice schools, as well as $8.75 million more through further allotment shifts to match state standards. The district will not increase class sizes.
Moore apologized to the community for the stress and distrust that the current budget conundrum has created. She said that the district’s priority going forward will be to resolve these issues as efficiently as possible and with minimal interruption to the student experience, all while being in constant communication with stakeholders as state of affairs evolves.
“We’re here because there is trust and faith that’s placed in our educators and in all of us every single day that we are doing our best for our students and our staff,” Moore said. “When you run into a crisis like this, all of that upheaval calls that into question, and rebuilding it is much harder than when you had it. Part of what I’m doing here is making sure that as we work through all of this, we can provide some clarity, some transparency, answer questions, and begin to rebuild that trust.”
Also on the board’s agenda for the evening were:
Updates on contracts for nursing services, multilingual education, and after-hours security
Discussion of proposed plans for mental health services and career and technical education, as well as the search for a permanent superintendent
Approval of a permanent easement for Duke Energy at Meadowlark, Parkland High School’s kitchen renovation, 2025-26 substitute pay schedules, renewal of annual technology subscriptions, and several other action items
The Board of Education will meet again on Tuesday, June 24 at 6:30 pm.