Schools’ budget tops $1.1 billion

Wake County School Board members got a head start on next year’s budget by slashing nearly $6 million worth of anticipated expenses Tuesday.

The money, part of which came from reimbursed money from a transportation embezzling scheme, will be used to purchase nearly 50 new school buses and close to 10 activity buses for the 2007-08 school year. A portion of the money will also be used to buy computer equipment and software.

Board member Lori Millberg, who represents schools in Wake Forest and Rolesville, explained that the board makes regular adjustments to the budget as overages or underfunding occurs. In this case, the board decided to go ahead and order the buses instead of using money out of next year’s budget.

Still, the proposed 2006-07 school system budget tops $1 billion. After the money for the buses and computer equipment is subtracted from the bottom line, the request amounts to about a 9 percent increase over last year’s budget, Millberg said.

Last year, after county commissioners protested that the school system’s proposed budget was too high, board members cut millions of dollars worth of expenses.

The county provides about 26 percent of the school system’s funding. The rest comes from federal, state and other sources.

As it stands, the proposed budget would increase per student spending by about $90 each — a conservative figure when increased fuel costs, additional teachers and books are taken into consideration, Millberg said.

Next year’s budget is not the only big-ticket item Wake County school board members are grappling with.

Currently, Wake leaders are looking at asking for anywhere from $1.37 billion to $1.97 billion on the county’s next school construction bond, which will be placed on the November ballot.

In an attempt to decrease the bond amount, Wake County school officials are sorting through various cost-cutting options.

Late last month school system Assistant Superintendent for Facilities Mike Burriss outlined the different options for board of education members. Donna Hargens, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, then talked about how those cuts could impact existing educational programs.

Burriss said reducing elementary school classrooms by 50 square feet would save the school system about $550,000, and eliminating sinks in grade two through five classrooms would save an additional $60,000.

Hargens said smaller classrooms would lead to a loss of learning centers, eliminate some activities and move some student groups into hallways. The loss of sinks would eliminate some science labs and pose health and safety issues.

Decreasing middle school classrooms by 150-200 square feet and eliminating auditoriums and locker bays would save about $1.4 million.

Hargens said deleting locker bays would leave students with no lockers. Smaller classrooms would lead to a reduction in learning opportunities and affect classroom management. Creating cafetoriums instead of separate auditoriums and cafeterias would take space away from performing arts classes.

High schools could be constructed for less money by reducing classrooms by 100 square feet, eliminating locker bays, reducing practice fields and using shared stadiums.

Smaller classrooms could save about $1 million, while eliminating practice fields could save $500,000. Creating practice fields instead of stadiums could save $2.1 million.

Hargens warned that smaller classrooms would not allow room for a table, podium or overhead cart for teachers; that eliminating lockers could cause supervision and safety problems and that eliminating stadiums would decrease ticket sales and strain shared facilities.

Eliminating practice fields, she said, could lead to health and safety issues.

School officials will continue to look at cost-savings options this month. School board members and county commissioners need to settle on a bond amount by May.

Editor’s note: Information about the Franklin County Schools’ budget is on page 6B.