By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
At their meeting last Thursday, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education voted 6-0 to approve the proposed 2012-13 budget.
Due to changes in the state budget, the school board was able to reduce the amount of fund balance – the district’s savings account – needed to make up for state cuts.
Initially, the board had estimated needing to pull about $3.65 million from the fund balance, based on the amount of “discretionary reduction†funding the state had proposed districts return to the state.
Discretionary reductions are money given to the district from the state that then needs to be returned to the state before the next budget cycle begins. In a previously proposed budget, the discretionary reduction included was the largest ever written into a state budget, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
However, the state reduced the amount of discretionary reduction required from the district, and Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Todd LoFrese was able to reduce the amount of fund balance needed to balance the budget to about $3.2 million, for a savings of $430,000.
While the amount of fund balance used is less than initially predicted, LoFrese told the school board that the state budget cuts were still significant and that in order to balance them out with the needs of the district, around 47 teaching positions would need to remain cut as previously proposed.
“We’re still reverting $3 million in state funds, and those represent a significant number of teaching positions,†LoFrese said. “Those could go a long way to helping out in our schools.â€
To help the district deal with state budget cuts, the Orange County Board of Commissioners increased funding to schools at a rate of $65 per pupil, $2 below the district’s request of a $67 increase.
The additional $2 would have helped fund enrollment growth in the district, according to the CHCCS budget.
Included in the state budget were funds for a small salary increase of 1.2 percent for district employees. This is the first wage increase for district employees since the 2008-09 school year.
However, for many employees the pay increase from the state would fall short of the board’s desired one-time $500 bonus for every employee. Although the board had originally made the one-time bonus conditional on the General Assembly not providing a pay increase, LoFrese recommended that the board still ensure that each employee receive at least an additional $500 this year.
The board agreed, and will be providing, through a funding request to the county commissioners, $275 in addition to the 1.2 percent pay raise.
“It is merely a token of appreciation, but it is what we can afford,†school board member Jamezetta Bedford said.
Also included in the CHCCS district budget is $90,508 allocated for an elementary-level English language-arts coordinator, $75,000 for a world language/dual-language coordinator and $55,000 to support the Mandarin Dual Language Program.
The district plans on contracting with VIF International Education for their Splash language program to assist the Mandarin Dual Language Program by helping provide visas for teachers, obtaining teachers and helping develop curriculum.
“We are looking at VIF to help provide start-up support,†LoFrese said. “All of the [Mandarin] teachers are in essence new next year and the curriculum will be all new. We need some help.â€
In addition to approving the budget, the board voted 6-0 to adopt the 2012-13 school year calendar.
Annetta Streater was unable to attend the meeting. The school board’s next meeting is Aug. 9.