Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools face large state cuts

Over the past three years, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has seen millions cut from its state funding — with much of the load borne on the backs of teachers.

And after the passage of a 2011-2012 state budget that decreased education funding across the board, the district found that it would again be facing multi-million dollar cuts, this time totaling $6.2 million.

Mia Day Burroughs, vice-chairwoman of the district’s Board of Education, said while the district does not expect to cut any teacher positions, staff will not receive a pay increase for the third consecutive year.

“(The state) has been making decisions that make the job of the classroom teacher more difficult,” she said. “Over time, they’re going to get tired. Over time, it may affect their ability to come in with a big smile everyday.”

Jamezetta Bedford, chairwoman of the board, said the $6.2 million cut was more than expected.

“It’s been three years in a row that have been very tough,” she said.

The district will absorb about $1.3 million of the state cuts and use $3.6 million, or about 40 percent, of its saved fund balance to cover the budget shortfall.

But if the state continues to hand down cuts of this magnitude, the district will face difficulties, Bedford said.

“We could probably hang on for two more years, but after that we’re going to hit a funding cliff,” she said.

The absorbed state cuts will include reductions in supplies, mentor pay and textbooks.

“We’ve been able to protect the classroom, but we cut everything else to the bone,” Bedford said.

With increased county funding of $6 per pupil, the district is faced with a gap of $333,000 that they have yet to cover.

District spokeswoman Stephanie Knott said the district will make up for this gap by taking measures that include eliminating a print shop position, reducing lead proficiency stipends, eliminating a psychologist position and reducing half an Exceptional Children curriculum lead teacher position and half a Pre-K secretary position.

The school board is slated to officially adopt its budget July 14.

The district usually receives more than half of its funding from the county and slightly under half from the state, Burroughs said.

But recently, it seems the state is reducing its commitment to education, she said.

North Carolina has ranked among the lowest in the amount of money it spends per pupil for years.

“We can survive that without really harming the student experience,” she said. “But more rural counties won’t be able to.”

Bedford said she credits some of the district’s ability to absorb budget cuts to the county’s commitment to education.

Bernadette Pelissier, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, said education was a high priority while creating the county’s budget.

“We had to work around things in the budget,” she said. “I don’t think there are counties in North Carolina that spend as much money on education as we do.”

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