New Hanover County Board of Education reacts to PreK funding cuts

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —At Tuesday’s agenda review meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Education discussed possible options after funding cuts to PreK. 

Superintendent Chris Barnes sat down with the PreK directors and members of the senior staff to look at possible solutions. 

They came up with seven options to present to the board.  

1. Stop Pre-K transportation and shift that money towards refilling classroom slots
2. Go back to the commissioners and tell them they need the slots back 
3. Turn towards endowment and ask them to make up the deficit in the funding 
4. Carry the positions another year using the fund balance money, further depleting the fund balance 
5. Offer paid slots to families that don’t quality for Pre-K and use that money to offset the loss of classroom slots 
6. Use the ‘carryover’ money from the Title 1 money from the government 
7. Move Mary Washington Howe Pre-K Center to Dorothy B. Johnson Pre-K center and sell the Howe property. Use that money partially for the fund balance as well as making elementary schools compatible with Pre-K classrooms. 

Board members Josie Barnhart said she didn’t anticipate this but was looking to make the best of the situation given. 

“We’re saying well given the resources that we have how can we continue to provide high quality PreK education and how can we show the progress that we’ve made with these students,” Barnhart shared. 

There was also discussion at the meeting about making elementary schools compatible with PreK classrooms.  

David Perry agreed that at first glance, this looks to be a good long-term solution. 

“Moving forward, where all of our PreK classes are housed in different elementary schools across the county that would be the best thing I would think,” Perry said. 

Perry adds he wants to hear all of the options and from the public before making any decisions.

Dr. Chris Barnes and the board members also discussed renaming another building to Mary Washington Howe to acknowledge her legacy if the current Howe building were sold. 

Closing Howe would save the district about $255,000 but Dr. Barnes acknowledges this is an emotional decision.

Board member Pat Bradford said she would not comment on the matter until she hears a full presentation on all of the options at the next board meeting, but she appreciates being given a vast number of options.