WS Chronicle

TEVIN STINSON 

THE CHRONICLE  

In 1991, British rock band Queen debuted their hit single “The Show Must Go On.” While I’m sure there are other hits that come to mind when you think of the Grammy-nominated band, it’s the perfect song to explain what’s going on with the local school district this week.  

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) is still trying to rebound from an audit that showed they overspent last year by over $16 million, which led to investigations from the N.C. State Board of Education and the N.C. State Auditor. 

Additionally, the district is trying to find a new superintendent and chief financial officer, while also trying to adopt a new strategic plan and residential boundaries.  

On top of all that, it’s budget season and the show must go on.  

During the WS/FCS Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 13, Superintendent Tricia McManus, who announced her retirement earlier this month, made her last budget request. The proposal presented to the board of education was for $615.39 million. 

The budget proposal is based on a combination of local, state and federal funding. McManus’ proposal included $180 million from Forsyth County, $385 million from the state, and about $50 million in federal funding.  

Funding from the county was calculated using a funding formula based on property tax revenue growth. A funding formula has been used for education since 2023, but the school district and the county had never formally adopted a formula unit now. Forsyth County Manger Shontell Robinson made it clear early in the budget process that she would include a funding formula in her budget proposal.  

In her proposed budget, which was presented last week, Robinson has set aside $180,556,505 for WS/FCS, which aligns with McManus’ proposal. Robinson said the goal of the formula is to “create a predictable, recurring and sustainable funding mechanism for schools that aligns with county responsibilities.”  

More Cost-Cutting Measures 

In addition to her budget request, McManus also suggested that the district will need to save an additional $13 million to avoid a deficit, inflating the number that needs to be cut from next year’s budget from $23 million to $36 million.  

To address the deficit from overspending in 2024 mentioned earlier, McManus implemented a cost-saving plan to save the district around $8 million this school year and $23 million next school year. Cuts included furloughing staff, restructuring programs, ending contracts with the firm that provides substitutes and teachers assistants, and eliminating several central office positions.  

McManus said the district’s funding issues are a result of a decrease in state funding for several positions that have gone down over the years. WS/FCS has seen a significant increase in the number of students receiving exceptional services. Because many of these positions are no longer covered by state allotments, the district is spending $158 million on salaries. During her presentation, McManus also discussed the loss of federal COVID-relief funds.  

Moving forward, McManus recommended that the district work with the state to monitor spending. She also suggested that the district’s chief financial officer provide a finance report at the first board meeting each month.  

Budget Passed, Other Agenda Items 

When it came time to vote on McManus’ budget request, the motion was approved 7-2.  

The board also voted to approve a $48,000 contract for HIL Consultants to assist the district’s financial department to close out the 2024-2025 budget year. The district is also working with the N.C. Auditor’s office to create a data dashboard to ensure transparency moving forward.  

Next week McManus will meet with teachers, staff and other stakeholders including community members for a budget workshop. On May 22, McManus is scheduled to attend a county budget workshop where members of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will ask questions about the district’s budget and cost-saving plan.  

Additionally, the district has named Freida Lashmit interim chief financial officer and talks have already started among the board and the community on who will replace McManus, whose last day is June 30.   

In the words of Queen, “The show must go on. The show must go on, yeah, yeah.”