Pender County Schools (CPS) originally asked the county for a $4 million increase in operational funding. That’s money that would go towards everyday expenses like paying staff. The county gave PCS $1.3 million, leaving the district with a $2.7 million budget gap
Yesterday, the county commission unanimously voted to amend the county budget and give PCS $2.7 million from its fund balance. As staff noted, money that comes out of the county’s fund balance is usually meant for emergency or one-time expenditures.
To close the gap, School officials had been considering cutting non-teaching staff, reducing substitute-teacher funding, and eliminating professional development. During the joint meeting, the PCS superintendent, principals, educators, and parents shared concerns about the impact those cuts could have on students.
In the future, county commissioners will likely have to consider alternative ways to pay for rising school operational costs, including raising taxes. Commissioners and school officials also discussed the state’s role in funding. With the lack of an updated state budget, state funding for the school system has stagnated.
Lisa Nowlin is the PCS chief finance officer. She said the school system has already cut back, to “run as lean as possible."
Nowlin said, “I am upset with the state. I think everybody in here owes it to our students to go back and say, ‘How can you do this to us?’ We shouldn’t have to be here asking for funding to cover state funding, but it’s where we are.”