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Raleigh requests money back from schools
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Published: November 19, 2008
Public schools in Iredell County must return more than $1.15 million in state funding to Raleigh.
State officials announced Tuesday that school districts and charter schools across the state were notified of $58 million in reversions necessary to offset an anticipated revenue shortfall during the 2008-09 fiscal year.
According to the Office of State Budget, Iredell-Statesville Schools' share is $859,400 and the Mooresville Graded School District will be required to return $221,415.
Local charter schools will also take a funding hit.
Pine Lake Preparatory in Mooresville must return $51,262, while Statesville-based American Renaissance and Success Institute will lose $19,704 and $3,650, respectively.
Each school district's required reversion amount is based on enrollment.
The state is asking school districts to cut back spending without affecting the classroom experience, including special services that are identified through Personal Education Plans and Individual Education Plans.
Dawn Creason, director of public relations for I-SS, said districts were informed of the changes on Monday and have until Dec. 19 to formulate plans for reverting budget funding.
"The plan is for it to have minimal effect in the classroom," Creason said Tuesday.
No decision has been made by I-SS officials about which programs or services, if any, will be cut.
MGSD Superintendent Mark Edwards said the school district has scheduled a meeting for Friday to "look at different options."
It won't be easy, he said.
"Getting this type of information this far into the school year — we're almost at the midyear break — and knowing that we have lost that amount of revenue is extremely tough," he said. "We've not pinpointed yet how we are going to deal with it."
With funds earmarked for furniture, supplies and other equipment, Edwards said the MGSD's tight budget will likely see cuts in those areas first, with staff development and other operational expenses being hit next.
"We're going to try to avoid anything that will be a direct service to students," he added.
Construction of MGSD's new elementary school will not be impacted because the reversion relates to operational expenses only.
Kate Alice Dunaway, head of school for Pine Lake Prep, said the charter school did not receive official notification of the reversions until Tuesday morning.
"We will have a budget meeting and look at our various line items in the budget and make the appropriate decisions," she said Tuesday.
Pine Lake officials will determine which areas of the budget can be tightened without disrupting the education of students.
Throughout North Carolina, the hardest hit school district is Wake County, which will be required to pay back more than $5.4 million.
All state agencies are also required to reduce their budgets by 5 percent (4 percent for universities, community colleges and the Department of Public Instruction).
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