Budget Update
The Wake School Board unanimously approved their 2020-2021 budget on May 5, 2020. The proposal includes a request of $29.9 million in additional funding from county commissioners. As in recent years, much of this budget request is to cover unfunded mandates from the NC legislature. Unlike recent years, the school system has had to react very quickly to a global pandemic which is reflected in this budget. The school system website has an excellent page dedicated to the budget. Review the highlights of the request, read Superintendent Moore’s letter on the budget, and find a link to the full budget document. We must ensure our teachers and students still get the resources they need to maintain a strong public school system that helps every child succeed. While this pandemic is already causing great economic unrest, we must not sacrifice investments in our children. We support full funding of the school system request.
Wake County Manager, David Ellis, will present his budget proposal to county commissioners on May 18th. While state lawmakers continue to fund millions of dollars for the privatization of schools (for-profit charters, private school vouchers), leaving public schools underfunded, our teachers and students continue to be asked to do more with less. Our county governments are burdened with supplementing funds that have historically been provided by the state. We will push commissioners to fully fund the school system request; to be bold and creative in the use of CARES Act funds and state funds allocated through the NCGA’s recent COVID Relief bills: HB-1043 and SB-704.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Twitter as we share the impact of the county budget on WCPSS.
FY 2021 Budget Timeline:
- April 14, 2020- Superintendent Cathy Moore presented her 2020-21 operating budget to the school board.
- April 28th, 2020- School board held a public hearing on the proposed budget.
- May 5th, 2020- School board unanimously adopted the Superintendent’s proposed budget.
- May 18th, 2020- County Manager, David Ellis, presents his proposed budget to Wake Commissioners
- June 1, 2020- Wake Commissioners public hearing* on the budget, 5pm. *It is unknown at this time if this hearing will occur in person or virtually.
The State Budget & WCPSS:
State funds greatly impact local school districts. The NC General Assembly has been pushing more and more funding burdens down to the county level since 2013, resulting in larger requests to the County Commissioners to help pay for these unfunded mandates. NC lawmakers’ 2017-19 Biennial Budget impact on school funding can be found on our budget fact sheet.
What’s the WCPSS Budget Cycle?
- The Superintendent prepares an annual budget and submits it with a budget message to the Board of Education (BOE) no later than April 15.
- The BOE holds at least one public hearing on the proposed budget prior to final action.
- The BOE submits the entire approved budget to the Board of Commissioners (BOC) no later than May 15 (or such later date as may be fixed by the BOC.) The BOC completes action on the school budget on or before July 1, or such later date as may be agreeable to the BOE.
- If adoption of the budget is delayed until after July 1, the Board makes interim appropriations for the purpose of paying salaries and the usual ordinary expenses of the school system for the interval between the beginning of the fiscal year and the adoption of the budget resolution.
What You Can Do to Advocate for Funding
- Be informed! Review the various proposed budgets from both the Wake County Commissioners and the Wake Board of Education.
- Speak up at Board of Education meetings and public hearings
- Attend a Board of Commissioners budget presentation, participate in a public hearing
