As the Wake County Public School System faces significant budget challenges, educators, staff and families will meet Wednesday to advocate for their needs.

The Board of Education is gathering community feedback and will make adjustments before submitting the final budget request to the Wake County Board of Commissioners.

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The school board needs a $60 million increase to maintain the operating budget, but Wake County superintendent Robert Taylor's proposal only requests $40 million, including cuts to employee benefits and staff reductions to afford rising costs.

Christina Cole, president of the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said the group is advocating for a "no cuts" budget, urging the county commission to fully fund the school district's request.

“I think every year the school board has to make difficult decisions,” Cole said. "The proposals for strategic repurposing include cuts to employee benefits as well as reduction in force, and we know that we need more professional educators in buildings rather than less right now in our school. So it is difficult decisions and frustrating, particularly for educators who work in schools, with students every day,” she added. 

Taylor previously said the budget proposal is focused on fiscal responsibility but also maintaining important programs in schools.

"Everything we've done in this budget is about reducing the impact on our schools so we can ensure quality education continues," Taylor said.

Taylor's budget proposes to cut employer contributions to dental insurance, beginning in January 2026, saving $2.5 million.

Several other cuts would save $9.1 million, including:

  • Removing full-time substitute teachers assigned to individual schools and paying only daily substitute teacher rates
    • Eliminating the second secretary position assigned to each high school
      • Reducing the funding for school supplies by about 7.6%
        • Adjusting formulas for funding assistant principals, counselors and social workers

          Cole emphasized the importance of maintaining employer-paid dental insurance and retaining essential staff like substitutes, clerical staff and school social workers.

          “We need to let the county commission make those difficult decisions. Put that ball in their court,” Cole said. “We are asking to maintain employer paid dental insurance, because if the employer is not paying it, that puts the burden on the worker, which is essentially a pay cut, even if it's $28 or $30 a month for some staff, particularly our classified or hourly workers. That's difficult,” she added. 

          The NCAE fought for guaranteed positions for school-based staff and substitutes after the COVID-19 pandemic.

          “With the vacancies and nutrition rates, we need staff who can sort of fill in the gaps that exist in our schools, and the important clerical staff and administrators, counselors and school social workers, those are key support staff that often get overlooked because their work is sometimes invisible, but they're making real things happen for students and staff in our building,” Cole added. 

          The WCPSS budget draws from federal, state and county funding sources. To bridge the approximately $19 million gap, Taylor recommended a series of budget cuts, which he called “strategic repurposing.”

          The cuts also include the elimination of several administrative, nurse and digital learning coordinator positions and reduced funding for school supplies.

          “So the thing we would advocate for is keeping as much as many staff in buildings rather than displacing them and maintaining those health benefits. Because it's also an attraction to recruit more workers and retain workers. It keeps it competitive when you know your employer is going to cover those health benefits too,” Cole said.

          Employees have also raised concerns about the rapid growth in Wake County and the need for adequate staffing in new schools.

          “We want to account for growth, but we also want to make sure the buildings we’re in are filled with students and staff— and are maintained well,” Cole added.

          “We are growing, which means more tax revenue, more revenue for the county. And we know businesses, people are moving here because of the opportunity to grow a business, home ownership, all of those things. And that means we need a robust public school system, and the only way that we do that is to fully fund it.”

          The NCAE is also calling on state lawmakers to do more.

          "I hate that the burden is on counties all across the state, but the General Assembly also has to do their job," Cole said. "For decades, they have underfunded schools. The Senate budget is a dismal 3.3% increase which doesn’t even count for inflation and the cost-of-living in the state."

          North Carolina school employees would get a baseline 1.25% raise and a $1,500 bonus in each of the next two years under the state Senate’s new budget proposal. But the increases come with some cuts, including smaller pots for advanced placement tests, school district central office workers, numerous contracts, and mentorship and support for North Carolina Teaching Fellows.  

          The Wake County school board has until May 15 to edit the superintendent’s proposed budget before they submit it to the county board of commissioners for consideration.

          The information session with board members will be held between 6:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. at Abbotts Creek Elementary, located at 9900 Durant Road.

          Another public session will be held April 23 at the Southeast Raleigh YMCA, located at 1436 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh, before board members finalize their budget proposal to send to county commissioners for approval next month.

          WRAL education reporter Emily Walkenhorst contributed to this report.

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