New Hanover County Schools decides how to move forward on a budget following months of uncertainty
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — During an emergency meeting on Thursday, the New Hanover County School Board finally voted on a budget.
WWAY attended the meeting and spoke with school board leaders about the ongoing conversation since March. Despite disagreements, board members decided how to move forward because they didn’t have a choice. A finalized budget is due on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the board voted 4 to 2 against the proposed budget, expressing concerns over the budget shortfall and the possibility of job cuts.
Originally, 279 positions were being eliminated. That number is now down to 156, thanks to the county giving an additional $5-and-a-half million above their standard request. But the school board wanted $10 million, hoping to reduce the job cuts to 120 positions by the start of the school year. This would be accomplished by partially by moving people into some open positions.
Board member Stephanie Kraybill said the superintendent’s resolution was ideal given the money they were allotted.
“The budget resolution that the superintendent offered to us, which was $3.2 million to move people where we need and a $2.3 million based on attrition,” Kraybill said.
School board member Stephanie Walker said Thursday allowed for a clearer understanding of what that resolution entailed and what it could mean moving forward. But she said it isn’t going to be easy.
“The challenge is that we have to serve over 24,000 students and the less we have, the less we can spend on positions and that really does hurt public schools,” Walker said.
The New Hanover Community Endowment has approved an $8.7 million grant to New Hanover County Schools.
The grant will support the district hiring 26 literacy facilitators, one at each elementary school, one at each Pre-K, two additional Pre-K teachers, and two additional Pre-K teacher assistants. That grant will be allocated over the next three years starting this summer and the goal is to increase the number of students reading at, or above grade level by 3rd grade.
