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NHC school board votes 4-3 to ask county commissioners for an additional $4.6 million

NHCS board at work session on May 14, 2024.
NHCS YouTube
NHCS board at work session on May 14, 2024.

The school board’s total ‘additional’ ask of the commission now stands at $10.1 million. This means that the commission initially signaled they would only provide $5.5 million in funding, for a total of $99.5 million for the entire local school budget.

The commissioners also anticipate paying $9.1 million from the general fund to maintain one nurse in every school and the current school-based mental health therapists. The schools used to reimburse the county $3.5 million for these services.

WHQR is waiting for the district to send details of which positions could be saved for $4.6 million. According to the board’s list, the top priorities were exceptional children teachers, EC teacher assistants, and then preK classrooms.

A document outlining the board's position priorities.
NHCS
A document outlining the board's position priorities.

Board members Stephanie Kraybill, Pete Wildeboer, Melissa Mason, and Josie Barnhart voted in favor of the $4.6 million additional ask.

Members Stephanie Walker and Hugh McManus voted against it because they supported an earlier motion brought forth by McManus to provide an additional $17.2 million (including the $5.5 million already offered by the county, that would be a total of $22.7 million) in additional funds so that the district can keep all current positions until the end of the fiscal year. McManus then wanted to freeze open positions after July 1.

“We are serving students. The morale will be horrible if they make these cuts,” McManus said.

Walker said she wanted to ask the commission for “what the district actually needs.” She also wanted to draw attention to the lack of funds provided by the state legislature—pointing to the current allotment for district teachers and staff. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes said earlier in the budget process that this state allotment formula hasn’t changed in over ten years.

This shows the difference between the state allotments for positions and what the district actually provides.
NHCS, February 2024
This shows the difference between the state allotments for positions and what the district actually provides.

Board member Pat Bradford said she voted against the additional $4.6 million because she thought it was “not fiscally sound” and that the district has “to learn to live within our means” — that the local “economy is shrinking.”

On Bradford’s claim that the local economy is shrinking, Dr. Mouchine Guettabi, a UNCW associate professor of economics and finance, told WHQR, “There is no evidence in the data that the economy is shrinking,” adding that “the economy is growing at a healthy clip. [...] The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Wilmington Metropolitan Area added 3,000 jobs between March 2023 and 2024.”

McManus said he was dismayed by the communication process between the school board and the county commission, especially over the COVID federal relief money (ESSER) and the positions they hired during that time.

“I don’t think we did a bad job of what we did. We were honest; we hired a lot of people that were awfully important for our students and our staff during Covid and post-Covid, and I feel like we’re being attacked,” he said.

Walker agreed on this issue, stating, “I’m not happy with this process and the way that other elected bodies talk about us.”

Earlier in the meeting, Wildeboer said he had asked Commission Chair Bill Rivenbark for another joint meeting between the board and the commission to discuss the budget, but nothing came of it.

Another point of contention was that the county did not provide additional capital funds for the next fiscal year. Assistant Superintendent Eddie Anderson said he anticipates a total capital budget of $3.9 million. He said he’ll transfer $1.9 million in remaining funds and $2 million for the state lottery funds in June. He said the lottery funds will mainly go toward the Myrtle Grove floor project and structural repairs at New Hanover High School.

Another open question is whether the district will receive an additional $2.8 million from the New Hanover Community Endowment for pre-K classrooms and 26 literacy facilitators next year.

During the meeting, Barnhart said this could help carry the district forward; Walker responded that they couldn’t count on these funds.

Even if county commissioners decide to not allot these additional funds, Chief Financial Officer Ashley Sutton said during the work session that the district was “on track now to save [most positions] through attrition,” adding that there wouldn’t be a “reduction in force.”

On another note, Walker addressed concerns voiced by McManus during a previous meeting that some NHCS staff members had received letters or verbal notification that their jobs were among those on the chopping block; administrators denied anything like that had happened — but McManus presented a physical letter. Walker said the board still doesn’t understand which staff members received official letters or verbal notices that their jobs were being dissolved.

“Did they [staff] actually want to do it,” implying that they would be leaving or retiring because they knew their position would be cut. She added, “Why all this focus on attrition?”

No one from the administration responded to Walker's question.

The next steps for the school budget are for county manager Chris Coudriet to review this request and present it to the county commission later this month. The county commission will vote in June on the district’s total budget.

Prior reporting on NHCS budget FY 24-25

Rachel is a graduate of UNCW's Master of Public Administration program, specializing in Urban and Regional Policy and Planning. She also received a Master of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Language & Literature from NC State University. She served as WHQR's News Fellow from 2017-2019. Contact her by email: rkeith@whqr.org or on Twitter @RachelKWHQR