By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

Rowan County government likely won’t be able to fund all of the school system’s needs for the coming fiscal year, according to commissioners and school board members.

The Rowan-Salisbury School System sent proposed budget figures to commissioners Tuesday afternoon. The figures included $4.3 million for salary and supplement increases and adding teacher assistants back into all of the school system’s second grade classrooms. The requested budget also includes about $6 million in capital needs.

Commissioners Mike Caskey and Craig Pierce said they were surprised at the amount requested, compared to financial numbers discussed during a joint retreat with the school board in April.

Caskey specifically cited a teacher pay increase. During the joint retreat, school board members and commissioners discussed a 1 percent raise — about $1.2 million. The budget figures given to commissioners this week, however, included a 2 percent salary increase — $2.4 million.

“I was just kind of surprised,” Caskey said. “There’s no way we can come up with all of that in this upcoming year.”

Pierce, similarly, said the nearly $6 million in capital needs and $4.3 million for supplement and salary increases and teacher assistants would be impossible.

“There’s always got to be a starting point anytime you deal with a budget, and it appeared to me that they thought ‘let’s just shoot for the moon with the new commission,'” Pierce said. “This is just entirely out of hand from what they know that we can do, versus what we’re willing to do. We’d like to be able to do everything for them, but it’s just not possible.”

Total operational funds requested by the school system for the 2015-2016 fiscal year — starting July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016 — is $36.5 million, which includes the increase in supplements and teacher pay. The nearly $6 million in capital needs is an additional request.

The current year’s county budget allocated $32.5 million to the system for current expenses and $1.54 million for capital outlay.

In the message to county government, Superintendent Lynn Moody wrote: ” The board of education looks forward to continued discussions with the county commissioners on how to address these capital needs that will require a long-range plan and commitment. The board of education is appreciative of the progress made with the relations between both boards over the past year. Open communication and working together for our citizens and students are welcome components in this relationship.”

Commission Chairman Greg Edds said he hadn’t read the school system’s proposed budget. When asked, Edds only comment was that the two boards, which went through a funding dispute and mediation in 2014, have a good relationship. All others questioned about the school system’s proposed budget agreed with Edds’ assessment.

“We understand there is significant needs and they understand we have significant financial constraints,” Edds said. “We will both work together to come up with a long range solution to satisfy the needs.”

School Board Chairman Josh Wagner said the budget figures submitted to Rowan County government only reflect the school system’s needs. Addressing the increase in teacher pay, Wagner said a 1 percent raise would bring salaries close to local averages. A 2 percent raise would be significantly closer and more competitive, he said.

School board members have said many of the system’s needs, including capital improvements, date back two dozen years and haven’t been addressed.

“We know that there’s no way 25 years worth of issues can be solved overnight,” Wagner said. “I hope the county doesn’t feel like we are playing some kind of game.”

The school system’s budget was determined by its staff, according to board Vice Chairman Dean Hunter. The proposed budget figures sent to commissioners Tuesday are strictly critical items the school system would require in the coming budget year.

“I won’t say that we don’t expect everything, but I think it’s fair to say we realize that there are more needs than the county can handle at one time,” Hunter said. “We felt that it was the right thing to to to make the county aware of our capital needs and current budget needs. I think we’re obligated to let the county know, but we are limited to what the county gives us.”

Pierce suggested closing dilapidated schools in the system and consolidating students into fewer facilities as an option to save money. When asked, Hunter said data supports the idea that closing school saves money, but “it’s a lot easier said than done.”

If forced to choose, Hunter said he’d rather maintain competitive teacher salaries than address capital needs.

Rowan County Commissioners will receive the first edition of the 2015-2016 budget on Monday during their regularly scheduled meeting.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246