BOARD OF EDUCATION’S PROPOSED BUDGET FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2020 - JUNE 30, 2021 CARY, NORTH CAROLINA May 8, 2020 Dear Chairman Ford, CROSSROADS BUILDING 1 On behalf of the Wake County Board of Education, I am presenting the proposed budget for5625 the DILLARD 2020-2021 DRIVE fis- cal year. This budget request, which reflects the needs of 162,000 students, their familiesCARY and, NORTH our CAROLINA nearly 27518 20,000 employees, is delivered at an extraordinary time in our nation’s history. May 8, 2020 As our superintendent said inDear her Chairman budget message Ford, to us, the COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us struggling to understand what will happen in the next 30, 60 or 90 days – let alone the duration of the coming school year. On behalf of the Wake County Board of Education, I am presenting the proposed So we, as a school board, havebudget turned for to the our 2020-2021 district’s fiscalcore beliefs year. This in presentingbudget request, this budget which reflectsto you. the District 4 (East Raleigh) needs of 162,000 students, their families and our nearly 20,000 employees, is Keith Sutton, Chair delivered at an extraordinary time in our nation’s history. [email protected] has underscored and exposed large gaps and disparities among our families. It has revealed the depth of ourDistrict challenges 3 (North Raleigh) in ensuringAs all our students superintendent are provided said inrelevant, her budget rigorous message and to meaningful us, the COVID-19 learning pandemic each day. Roxie Cash, Vice Chair has left many of us struggling to understand what will happen in the next 30, 60 AndRCash it @wcpss.nethas led to this budget request of $545,891,117 in county appropriations for the 2020-2021 school year – an or 90 days – let alone the duration of the coming school year. increaseDistrict 1 of(Northeast $29,936,016 Wake) compared to last year. Heather L. Scott So we, as a school board, have turned to our district’s core beliefs in presenting [email protected] Our Board of Education membersthis budget greatly to you.appreciate the collaboration and the strong working relationship we enjoyDistrict with 2 (Southeast you Wake)and the Board of Commissioners. Monika Johnson-Hostler COVID-19 has underscored and exposed large gaps and disparities among our [email protected] families. It has revealed the depth of our challenges in ensuring all students are It is largely due to this relationship that we understand the school system’s request, while much smaller than provided relevant, rigorous and meaningful learning each day. yearsDistrict past, 5 (South will Central be Raleigh) difficult to meet. Jim Martin [email protected] And it has led to this budget request of $545,891,117 in county appropriations We also know it falls far shortfor of the the 2020-2021 educational school needs year exposed – an increase by this of pandemic. $29,936,016 compared to last District 6 (Central Raleigh) year. Christine Kushner [email protected] this request represents, we believe, is a balance between our responsibilities to provide a sound, basic edu- cation and the significant uncertaintiesOur Board of faced Education by the membersWake County greatly Boardappreciate of Commissioners. the collaboration and the District 7 (West Raleigh/Morrisville) strong working relationship we enjoy with you and the Board of Commissioners. Chris Heagarty Of [email protected] $29.9 million of additionalIt is largely funding due containedto this relationship in this request, that we $18.4 understand million the is drivenschool bysystem’s current and expected legislative requirements. Another $2.1 million is tied to increasing property costs. And $2.8 million is request, while much smaller than years past, will be difficult to meet. neededDistrict to8 (Southern pay Wake)for the opening of new schools. Lindsay Mahaffey [email protected] We also know it falls far short of the educational needs exposed by this pandemic. District 9 (Western Wake) Bill Fletcher What this request represents, we believe, is a balance between our [email protected] responsibilities to provide a sound, basic education and the significant uncertainties faced by the Wake County Board of Commissioners. Of the $29.9 million of additional funding contained in this request, $18.4 million is driven by current and expected legislative requirements. Another $2.1 million is tied to increasing property costs. And $2.8 million is needed to pay for the opening of new schools. WEBSITE: WWW.WCPSS.NET I would also like to highlightI would the largest also like single to highlight increase theoutside largest of legislative single increase changes, outside which of is legislative a request for $6.7 million to help cover the costschanges, of deferred which isoperational a request needs.for $6.7 million to help cover the costs of deferred operational needs. This category of deferred needs was created last year in response to public acknowledgement by county leaders and school board membersThis that category the school of deferredsystem never needs recovered was created from last reductions year in responsemade during to public the Great Re- cession. While the requestacknowledgement in this second year by of countythe five-year leaders program and school has boardbeen reduced, members we that feel itthe is schoolimportant to retain a commitment tosystem the larger never effort. recovered from reductions made during the Great Recession. While the request in this second year of the five-year program has been reduced, I am certain you and your colleagues will be as thoughtful and compassionate in your considerations as we were we feel it is important to retain a commitment to the larger effort. when shaping this request. I want to thank you in advance for your deliberations and look forward to working together as we strive to maintainI am certain and improve you and one your of colleaguesour county’s will most be asimportant thoughtful assets. and compassionate in your considerations as we were when shaping this request. I want to thank you Respectfully, in advance for your deliberations and look forward to working together as we strive to maintain and improve one of our county’s most important assets. Keith Sutton Chair, WCPSS Board of Education Respectfully, Keith Sutton Chair, WCPSS Board of Education April 14, 2020 Wake County Board of Education: I am writing this budget message at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us struggling to under- stand what will happen in the next 30, 60 or 90 days – let alone the duration of the coming school year. In doing so, I find myself returning to our school district’s core beliefs. In my first budget message last year, I chose to focus on the first core belief of our Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. “Ev- ery student is uniquely capable and deserves to be challenged and engaged in relevant, rigorous and meaningful learning each day.” None of us at the time understood how that belief would come to be tested. But this pandemic has not changed our priorities; it has simply placed them in a new light. Feeding children, an often overlooked routine that provided breakfast and lunch to nearly one-third of our 162,000 students, is now a critical district function for entire families. Student-teacher relationships – the foundation of K-12 education– are re-emerging from their own quarantine. And we are compressing years of computer laptop distribution into weeks in order to improve access. While I do not know what our families will need to be made whole again in 2020-2021, I know the budget I am proposing today falls short of even the challenges we identified before the pandemic. I also understand the economic fallout from COVID-19 has likely just begun. Should it persist, the needs of our community could quickly outpace the county’s resources. That is why I am proposing a budget increase that is much smaller than recent years. More specifically, I am recommending a request of $29,936,016 for the 2020-2021 school year. Of that amount, $18.4 million is driven by current and expected legislative requirements. Another $2.1 million is tied to increasing property costs. And $2.8 million is needed to pay for the opening of new schools. I appreciate this recommendation will require further collaboration with the county in the coming weeks and months as the full effect of COVID-19 becomes clearer. However, to recommend less than $29.9 million could require further reductions in areas where the district never caught up following the Great Recession. Familiar issues, such as those identified in last year’s multi-year funding plan, will still remain when this pandemic ends. Class size restrictions, for example, will continue to put pressure on many schools, especially those in western Wake County. Specifically, the smaller classes required by law will mean hiring additional teachers and finding more space. And despite an initial projection of nearly flat enrollment growth, that prediction no longer seems likely. This is because current state policies allowed charter schools in Wake County to delay their openings after public school projections were already announced. Of course those students will still need a classroom. And with nearly four of every five school-aged children in Wake County attending traditional public schools, chances are excellent that the classroom will be part of the Wake County Public School System. We are pleased to serve them. When needs such as these are combined with legislative requirements, it is difficult to identify ways to reduce this proposed budget further. That is because the legislative changes, new school openings, long-deferred operating costs and property cost increases represent virtually all of the $29.9 million in this budget proposal.