Superintendent: Budget Cuts Could Jeopardize Wake Schools' Achievement Goal

Posted 11:51 a.m. Apr 4, 2002 — Updated 11:51 a.m. Apr 4, 2002

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Wake County School System's amibitious goal of boosting student achievement is being rocked by a bare bones budget proposal that cuts administration, raises and some school programs

Wake County's school superintendent said that the school systemmight not make its goal of having 95 percent of students at or above grade level by 2003 because of money.

Superintendent Bill McNeal sliced $15 million in program and administrative costs from the school budget for next fall.

Most services affecting students were spared, but the Summer Academy was cut, saving $3 million. High school tutoring was also cut in order to save $600,000.

Other cuts include:

Technology: more than $5 million

Auxillary services base budget: nearly $1.5 million

Instructional services: $732,000

Custodial overtime pay: $199,000

Out-of-system travel for principals: $116,000

Superintendent's office: $51,000

Teacher raises were held to an average of two percent.That means some teachers will not get raises, while others could get a pay increase of nearly 6 percent. The superintendent said that despite the cuts, the system must still ask the county for $8 million more than last year. That is a four percent increase that will help pay for teachers for the 4,475 new students expected to arrive next fall.

In all, the budget request to the county is $203 million.

The plan now goes to the school board, which must vote by May 7 and deliver a finished budget to the county commission by May 15.

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