By Sarah Campbell
scampbell@salisburypost.com
EAST SPENCER — The Rowan-Salisbury School System isn’t planning to issue any pink slips next year. At least not yet.
The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education unanimously voted Monday to take $2 million from its fund balance to help fill an estimated $8 million state budget deficit without slashing positions.
“We’re at a cliff, the federal stimulus money is gone, the state outlook looks worse and we’re not sure about county funding,” Tara Trexler, the district’s chief financial officer, said. “It’s time to start tapping into our fund balance.”
The school system has cut nearly 140 positions over the past two years.
“We don’t want to lose any more than we already have,” Trexler said. “Our goal has been to protect the classroom and to try to save as much as we can so that when we come to the cliff years that we are now approaching, we can sustain our programs.”
But Monday’s decision to dip into the fund balance includes a stipulation that the board could come back to the drawing board if appropriations dwindle anymore.
“Nothing is final. We will be tweaking it,” Trexler said. “We may have to make major changes depending on state or even the local budget.”
State budget cuts remain uncertain. The board currently projects a decrease of nearly $8 million, based on the House version of the bill.
“We have seen the trend in the past that the House usually has a friendlier cut than the Senate,” Trexler said
In its county budget request, submitted last month, the school system requested to be funded at the same level as the previous year. County Manager Gary Page has recommended a $1 million reduction in monies flowing to the district.
If deeper cuts occur, the school board could look at eliminating teacher supplements and mentor pay. Teacher assistants, curriculum coaches and instructional support such as media specialists could also be targeted.
The district could also face additional expenditures that could affect the final budget outcome.
Trexler said the district will likely have to accommodate for mandatory increases in retirement and insurance.
“We will have to cut some line items for the mandatory increase even if the county appropriates the exact same amount,” she said.
Trexler said the school system will combine the $2 million from the fund balance with its $4.2 million in federal Education Jobs Fund money, central office freezes and cutbacks in staff development, technology and textbook adoptions in order to balance the budget.
The anticipated $8 million shortfall the school system is facing this year is on top of $12 million in cuts from the past two years.
Contact reporter Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.