Superintendent Robert Taylor's proposal to cut $18 million from the special education budget is now off the table after a heated unscheduled meeting Tuesday.
The Wake County Board of Education said it wants Superintendent Robert Taylor to find other options.
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During a special meeting to discuss the 2026-2027 budget, board members said they had received thousands of emails from the public concerned about Taylor's proposal.
Board Chair Tyler Swanson said the "poorly communicated" announcement led to fear and confusion.
"I'm not in favor of balancing budges on the backs of our most vulnerable students. Our students receiving special education services depend on us to protect and prioritize their needs," said Swanson, a former special education teacher at Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh.
Taylor presented a series of slides explaining the proposed changes, which he said would allow the district to keep all special education teachers who have renewable contracts. The changes however would result in 130 less special education positions.
The board reviewed the slides and before going into closed session.
Taylor's full proposed budget will be up for approval at the April 7 board meeting.
The board meeting came a week after teachers and parents held protests over proposed cuts to special education funding.
"I was heartbroken, scared, angry, and so worried about what was coming," Melanie McCabe, a Wake County parent and child psychologist, told WRAL News. "You know, these are vulnerable children that we're talking about, and we're talking about implementing cuts to folks who need more support."
McCabe has two kids in middle school served under special education.
"The thought that we might shift how we are providing those services that are legally afforded and, yet, do it with less money, less time, less resources, less staff, makes you wonder...You know, what are we going to end up with," McCabe said.
Parents were grateful for the board's pushback on the cuts Tuesday night.
"What I appreciated the most from our school board last night, is they were relentless, and they kept pushing back," Emily King, a Wake County parent and child psychologist, told WRAL. "It was it was very energizing to watch, and I was very proud to be represented by them."
While there is some relief about the budget now, McCabe and King said the meeting left them confused on a timeline and what will be the other options for funding and cuts.
Wake NCAE, the organization that spearheaded the protests Thursday, said they are grateful their efforts made a difference, but it's not over yet.
Taylor is set to present the budget proposal April 7 where he and the board will talk about other options for funds and cuts.
"We want to see what he's proposing and what he's not proposing, and either way, it'll be in the school board's hands then," Christina Spears, president of Wake NCAE, said. "We just hope they will make a request for what we deserve, and not undercut our students and staff."
Wake NCAE is asking parents and teachers to show up to the budget proposal.
The district said the programs would still follow state-recommended guidelines.
The Wake County North Carolina Association of Educators said those layoffs would leave 130 special education teachers without a job. The group is calling on district leaders to fund critical staffing, support services and pay increases for special education programs.
On Friday, Taylor talked about the challenges the district faces in a "State of the Schools" address.
Taylor spoke to several ongoing issues and complications the district is navigating, and said federal funding levels are projected to adjust, though the state budget has yet to be finalized. This comes as crucial resources such as transportation, utilities and fuel rise in cost and the district lacks a uniform AI policy.