School systems facing drastic budget cuts
Posted April 27, 2010 1:54 p.m. EDT
Updated April 28, 2010 8:28 a.m. EDT
Smithfield, N.C. — Johnston County Schools will have to eliminate 113 teaching positions next year because of budget cuts, a district spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Terri Sessoms said the cuts are state-driven but that it was unclear what the shortfall would be for the superintendent's 2010-11 budget until the state and county determine their allocations.
The district also plans to eliminate 12.5 custodian positions and two assistant principal positions.
Despite the job eliminations, as well as a $500,000 cut in spending on teaching assistants, Johnston County Schools has requested more than $57 million from the county and state – an $895,530 increase from the current fiscal year.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is also anticipating at least $5 million in cuts from its budget for the next fiscal year that could result in cuts to programs and services and job eliminations, officials said.
Proposed cost-saving measures include increasing class sizes, reducing athletics, eliminating some teaching assistants and making some full-time employees part-time.
