Click for Wake Forest, North Carolina Forecast

School board discusses cuts

by Debra A. Golden, Wake Weekly Staff Writer

June 2, 2005

Although Wake County commissioners are not expected to formally consider the 2005-06 budget until next week, school officials are preparing to cut spending by $17 million. That's the possible shortfall if county commissioners give the county school system $265.7 million -- $17 million less than the school system requested, but the amount suggested by County Manager David Cooke.

While Wake County school officials believe they have tightened their budget as efficiently as possible, one local principal said the proposed cuts would hit his school hard.

Dropping benefits, increasing class size

School board members held a special called session last Thursday morning to discuss cutting their budget to fit the one recommended by the Wake County manager.

Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services Dr. Del Burns said the school system could withdraw $1 million from its fund balance to help with the deficit, but that would still leave the school system short by $16 million for the upcoming school year.

Last year, the school system took $15 million out of its fund balance, but officials say they need to leave the rest untouched to take care of emergencies.

Proposed cuts included dropping dental insurance for all Wake County school employees for a savings of $3.2 million -- a modification Wake Forest-Rolesville High School Principal André Smith said would be offset by difficulties hiring and retaining qualified teachers. Local schools are facing a "tremendous push" by the federal government to retain quality teachers, Smith said. Decreasing teacher benefits and support will only encourage them to look elsewhere for employment, he said.

School board members may also have to consider reducing financial support for art, music, physical education, foreign languages and drama and dance classes -- a move that would save the school system nearly $700,000.

The result, Smith said, would mean larger classes "right off the bat" at his high school. "We would have no choice but to extend classroom size," he said. That could be difficult, since many arts electives have a limited number of seats available, he added.

More students, fewer teachers?

Decreasing teacher funding in arts and language electives would hit the high school with a double-whammy. "We wouldn't be able to get all the teachers we need (or) service those students coming through," Smith said.

The financial squeeze would hit the school particularly hard this year, the principal added, because he needs to hire additional teachers for the 2005-06 school year. Projected attendance for the fall is 1,985, he said.

High schools may also be hit with a decrease in technical support if the school system's budget isn't fully funded. School administrators estimate that by having technicians service two high schools instead of one and cutting after-hours support, the school system could save $800,000 in the upcoming school year.

Smith said that solution would hurt his school, too. Since more and more teachers are communicating with parents online, reducing that support could mean parents wouldn't hear from their children's teachers as often, he said.

Finally, possible cuts in security funding could mean that WF-R High school would have to pay for its own security services at afterschool events.

'A modest budget'

Many school board members expressed dismay with the proposed cuts last week.

Wake County School Board District 1 representative Kathryn Quigg, who announced last month she won't seek a third term, told fellow board members, "I am glad I'm going off the (school) board. The children deserve better than this.

"I'm so discouraged it has come to (this) -- begging and screaming every year to make a difference for our children," she said.

Quigg said she was not willing to approve any cuts in the school system's budget.

School Board Chair Susan Parry said while board members have been criticized for asking for money, "the budget is based on what we need to get the job done."

Parry said if the school system had $9,000-$15,000 to spend on each student like school systems in other states, the board wouldn't have to be as "precise about what we need. This is a very modest budget."

Wake County currently spends a total of $2,072 per student -- state and federal funds bring that number up to nearly $7,000 per pupil each year.

'Dismay and concern'

A past president of the Wake County PTA Council has kept a close eye on the school system's proposed budget.

In April, Virginia Parker told school board members that the county PTA would draft a resolution in support of the proposed budget.

Last week, Parker said the PTA council unanimously adopted the resolution on behalf of the entire council membership. The resolution calls for "adequate funding for our school system for both its capital and operating needs."

Parker added that the PTA council was in the process of "rallying the troops."

Reaction to the county commissioners' indication that they would not fully fund the school system's budget request "has mostly been dismay and concern," she said.

"The cuts that are being considered affect staff and students, especially those most at risk," Parker said.

Also last Thursday, school board members made mention of a recent investigation of several school system employees who have come under fire for possible misuse of funds.

Authorities are investigating what they believe amounts to about $2 million misspent dollars, a situation that could dampen enthusiasm for the school system's request for funding.

School Board District 3 representative Carol Parker said last week that while she was angry the money had been used improperly, safeguards had been put in place to help prevent such incidents in the future.

Superintendent Bill McNeal said that the district attorney's office is "doing what's necessary to ensure justice is served." About three-quarters of the $2 million has been recovered, McNeal said.

Wake County commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2005-06 budget June 6 at 2 p.m. at the commissioners meeting in the Wake County Courthouse.

A second public hearing will be held that evening at 7 p.m. at the Wake County Commons Building. Commissioners will accept comments on the school system budget and other proposed county expenditures.

County commissioners are expected to vote on the budget June 20. The Wake County School Board will meet the next day to discuss any adjustments to their budget.

A game of musical chairs

by Elizabeth Michalka, Wake Weekly Staff Writer

Suzanne Whisnant never thought much about music.

She can't carry a tune and doesn't know of any musically talented relatives. So when her oldest daughter Maggie wanted to join the Wake Forest Elementary orchestra four years ago, Whisnant was skeptical.

But since then Maggie and her younger sister Allie have taken up the violin. Now Whisnant is full of praise for the orchestra program and music education in general.

She believes that creating music has increased her daughters' concentration and perseverance, making them more committed to their school work, and also more well-rounded.

Despite these and other benefits, the music and arts programs in Wake Forest schools may be at risk.

A $17 million budget shortfall could force the Wake County school board to cut funding that may affect teacher positions in the arts and music, among many other programs. (For more on the budget, see related story at left.)

"I'm extremely tired of the arts being on the firing line," said Wake Forest parent Vicki Lantzer when she heard of the possible cuts.

Lantzer has a daughter in the WF-R high band and a daughter in the WF-R middle orchestra. Like Whisnant, Lantzer is very supportive of the programs because of the positive effects it has on her daughters, including increased self-discipline and confidence.

While cuts to the arts have become a national trend, school board member Kathryn Quigg said the arts will not be the first nor the only thing cut this year if county commissioners do not increase funding.

Quigg said the board plans to fight for the increase, and she hopes concerned parents will also contact commissioners to ensure that their voices are heard.

WF-R middle and high school orchestra instructor Jeremy Gibbs plans to attend a June 6 public hearing on the issue to guarantee that commissioners understand how important music education is.

"If students do not get it (music education) at school, they're not going to get it at all," Gibbs said, explaining that many families cannot afford private lessons, and simply listening to music is not enough.

"We're very lucky in our community to have such strong (music) programs," he said, hoping that his programs will continue to take steps forward and not back.

Beneficial notes

Over the past decade researchers have worked to prove what parents like Whisnant and Lantzer already believe -- that making music builds character and increases cognitive skills, especially math and language skills.

Students with music instruction score higher on the traditional SAT than students with no music training, according to a 2001 report by the The College Examination Board.

The board reported that students in music and arts classes scored about 60 points higher on the verbal section of the SAT and 43 points higher on the math section than students who did not take music and arts classes.

Dr. Daniel Huff, associate professor of music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explained how making music correlates to academic success.

"People involved (with music) learn how to learn, and they do it rapidly," Huff said. He also cited other studies that showed that making music increases language acquisition, vocabulary skills, spatial skills and even motor skills.

He explained that playing an instrument, and even singing, have wide-reaching effects because the activities stimulate different areas of the brain simultaneously. This stimulation helps build and strengthen connections, called neural bridges, between brain cells, which leads to increased intellect, Huff explained.

Lantzer is a strong believer in these studies because she's seen the benefits of music firsthand. Her daughters Melissa, 14, and Jennifer, 11, are in academically gifted programs, and Lantzer believes their academic success has a lot to do with their musical experiences.

Whisnant elaborated, saying her daughters have realized that patience is a necessary part of learning. The girls know the only way they'll master the violin is through practice, a concept they apply to their other school subjects.

Whisnant also believes that playing in the orchestra has promoted a healthy competitive spirit, especially for Maggie. Maggie never has to be asked to practice and always looks forward to competitions with other schools.

While academics are still the main focus of school, electives like music should not be underestimated because they are sometimes the only subjects that students succeed in -- keeping them motivated and on the attendance roll.

"Kids come to school for the electives," Gibbs said. Thinking about his own experiences, he added that he doesn't know if he would have made it through school if it wasn't for music.

Schools should strive for programs that provide a wide variety of information and experiences, Gibbs said, because that creates well-rounded students who become more knowledgeable adults.

But, providing art and music opportunities in schools doesn't have to be at the expense of other programs, Gibbs believes. He said a balance can be found, and has been found in the past thanks to the financial support of parents and booster clubs.

"It's a numbers game," Gibbs said.

...back to top >>

Last Updated On: June 2, 2005