Budget Update
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education heard an update on budget matters during its meeting on Tuesday night.
The district has made great strides towards repaying its debt, which is now down to $4.5 million after March’s payments. Forvis Mazars will present their annual independent financial audit of the district at the board’s next meeting on April 14. Executive Director of Finance Stacy Long and Director of Payroll Jennifer Del Rosario were recently hired to bring fresh leadership to the district’s financial operations.
Looking at next year’s budget, Superintendent Don Phipps highlighted several priorities district stakeholders have identified. These include full-time assistant principals at every school, more support for Exceptional Children’s services, an audit of the central office, more mental health resources, and investment in low-performing schools.
There are still plenty of variables at play that will impact the resources the district can use. The state government hasn’t passed a budget for this year or next year. Teacher pay increases are common but not guaranteed in election years. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will have to evaluate local tax revenue before making appropriations for the district. Next year’s enrollment numbers will play a part as well.
Phipps expects to present multiple budget proposals later this year that account for different levels of funding and minimize fluctuations in staffing. He asked the board and the public to keep measured expectations and be prepared for options to change as other governing bodies make their decisions.
“The big question is how far we can go and what it looks like in terms of adding that additional support,” Phipps said. “There are still a lot of pieces of the budget that are unknown.”
The board will discuss the budget further in a pair of workshops held on Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8. A budget must be approved by the end of June.
Instructional Resources and Textbook Adoption
During the Curriculum Committee meeting, the board discussed the district's strategy to streamline core instructional resources.
Current state textbook funding provides only about $36 per student, which is significantly below the actual cost of textbooks. Additionally, previous core resources like Wonders and HMH have expired or are nearing expiration. WS/FCS must secure multi-year funding for upcoming major adoptions, specifically for refreshed K-12 ELA and K-12 math books, which may cost as much as a combined $15 million.
The board members discussed current resources for textbooks and lesson plans specific to each core subject, as well as temporary and long-term plans to ensure continuous access to those resources. Introducing bond referenda to secure additional funding was mentioned, as was adding textbook funding to the board’s list of advocacy priorities for the state legislature.
“We’re going to really have to figure out what our next steps are with funding, because we know we need these resources,” said Board Member Richard Watts. “We’re at the cliff.”
No action was taken during the Curriculum Committee meeting. More details on standards, timelines, and current resources are available here.
Finance Committee
During the Finance Committee meeting, the board approved repairs to the field at Lewisville Middle School for full board approval, as well as a motion to bid for pricing to replace the gym floor at Reynolds High School.
The committee also reviewed the latest budget-to-actuals report for an update on how expenditures compare to projections. The full report can be found here.
Action Items
At the end of the full meeting, the board approved contracts with:
- Associated Heating and Air Conditioning for the Atkins High School ERV replacement
- Professional Air Systems for the Reagan High School ERV replacement
- Commercial Air Systems for the Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy emergency boiler replacement
- Westcott, Small & Associates for the West Forsyth High School carpool improvement design, funded by NCDOT
It also approved class size waiver requests from Brunson Elementary School, Caleb’s Creek Elementary School, Piney Grove Elementary School, Southwest Elementary School, and Vienna Elementary School.
The Board of Education will have its next regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14.
Committee Meetings:
Full Meeting: