Demonstrators demand more school funding as NHCS faces $20M budget shortfall

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Dozens of concerned citizens gathered outside the New Hanover County Board of Education on Tuesday evening, rallying for increased school funding amid a projected $20 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year.

The New Hanover County Democratic Party organized the demonstration ahead of the school board’s regularly scheduled meeting.

Expressing fears of potential staff cuts and program reductions, advocates urged local and state leaders to prioritize education funding to ensure students receive the support they need to succeed.

“I am worried that we are going to lose too many teachers and that we won’t have enough to teach me and other kids,” said Liv Bellamy, a New Hanover County Schools third grader. “And I am worried that I will not have an assistant principal to help our school learn and be safe. Please make it easier for us to learn, not harder.”

The proposed budget deficit could result in the elimination of more than 270 positions, with many of them being student-facing positions.

“Any student-facing position, we need people to be with kids,” said Kristina Mercer, a former educator. “Nothing, nothing replaces a caring adult in a school for a child.”

Among the positions at risk are those dedicated to exceptional children, drawing particular concern from parents.

“I know firsthand for my child to have access to staff who understand her disability and have time to work with her,” said Sandy Eyles, founder of New Hanover County Educational Justice and mother to a child with a disability.

Safety concerns were also raised, with worries about large class sizes and diminished staff capacity to address the needs of students, especially those with special needs.

“It’s a job that we love but it’s a job that’s very, very challenging. We work with highly autistic, fairly low functioning children who don’t always accept the rules and regulations and follow directions. We get hit on, kicked, spit on, sworn at, kids run out of the room and if there’s an absence that day, that kid might make it out of the room. Somebody, a staff and a student, their safety is at risk already,” said Matt Bigham, an EC teaching assistant. “So how in the world are we going to deal with a school system when there’s less help? It’s going to be terrible, I mean…I don’t know if I would personally feel safe staying next year if we have less help.”

The potential cuts extend beyond personnel, with programs such as pre-K expansion, mental health expansion, and bully prevention initiatives facing the chopping block.

“We need to demand from our state legislators that they uphold their constitutional duty to provide every student a constitutionally protected sound and basic education,” said Tim Merrick, a parent and candidate for the school board.

As the New Hanover County School Board grapples with budget decisions, advocates stress the importance of prioritizing resources to ensure the well-being and educational success of all students.