Fall sports, certified jobs in limbo as WCPS prepares for local budget deficit, state COVID-19 what-ifs

Wayne County Public Schools officials say they don’t know how COVID-19 will change the way education is delivered across the state — or what the new restrictions will do to local personnel needs and sanitation concerns.

So, while the county is preparing to look at ways to mitigate what is projected to be a $5 million shortfall in its $180 million 2020-21 budget, the unknowns mean that, for now, the options for getting the budget back in the black are likely to be as fluid as the changing information about how schools will open, when they will be in session and what kind of expenses they will incur.

The board met for a budget work session Monday morning at the district’s Central Office, a precursor to next Monday’s board meeting to discuss dollars and cents and the recommendation WCPS will make to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners about its needs for the new year.

But while the final recommendations will be with an eye on getting the district back in the black and could include everything from juggling money to fund — or eliminating — some “enhancements” — like theater or other activities that are not part of the core curriculum — to cutting personnel, until the state sets the rules, no one knows for sure what the district’s needs will be.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore said Wayne County school personnel are trying to find that answer by analyzing ever-changing information and a lack of clear direction from the state.

“We are looking at a lot of different models,” he said. “At some point, we are going to get a directive from (the N.C. Department of Public Instruction) on what we are going to do.”

Dunsmore added that Wayne County has tried to learn from other districts’ mistakes.

“What we have learned is you don’t go rogue,” he said, explaining that some districts tried to be proactive and created hybrid models, only to find out that they were not allowed by DPI.

Board members expressed concern over the lack of direction from the state — as well as the potential impacts on student learning.

Patricia Burden, a long-time school administrator and teacher, took issue with the early start date, Aug. 17, which Dunsmore said is being touted as a time for students to “catch up.”

“You cannot catch up with one week of school for five or six months,” she said.

Other members questioned how to ensure that the directives from the state would be in the best interest of Wayne County students.

“Things that are going to work for Mecklenburg County are not going to work for Wayne County or Lenoir County,” Jennifer Strickland said.

Other board members, including chairman Chris West and Ven Faulk, said they are also concerned about the delays in decision-making from the state and the limbo that the districts are in because there is no clear direction for 2020 and beyond.

One fact is certain, however, Dunsmore said: Online learning will definitely be a part of those plans.

“We have to have a remote learning plan by June 22,” he said.

There have been some funding provisions from the state to deal with the COVID-19 challenges, but they are focused on the distance learning needs, school officials said.

The unknowns that are associated with the coming school year mean that plans for everything from the number of teachers to the support staff necessary to clean and to sanitize the classrooms make deciding where to cut back and what to keep a challenge.

“If we have to split up classes because of social distancing, we are going to need more staff, not less,” Dunsmore said. “We cannot just pull that out of mid-air.”

And the number of students in classes is not the only concern, the superintendent added.

Social distancing requirements could affect the number of students in the cafeteria and on school buses, which could necessitate more routes and more shifts.

Among the items that were part of the discussion with the board were cutting back on the number of assistant principals’ workdays for a savings of $750,000, reassigning 12 media assistants to other teacher’s assistant positions in the county for a savings of $418,000 and reducing or eliminating extra duty pay — $110,000 for athletic and $129,000 for certified staff.

Funding shortfalls and limits in available state-funded positions mean that school officials will have to look carefully at where to put their money and what the district can and cannot afford. 

Dr. David Lewis, assistant superintendent for accountability/information technology, said that state funding is based on formulas. So far, Wayne County has been able to juggle some of that funding to cover enhancements to local instruction like art and music classes, but finding those dollars has become more and more difficult.

The question, he said, is, “Do we continue to offer enhancements, and if so, how do we pay for it?”

The district has put a priority on having those additional enhancements, including extra classwork to assist students in some traditional subject areas, but maintaining those extras moving forward might require larger class sizes overall, Lewis said.

While there have been discussions and decisions on pre-set class sizes at the elementary and middle school levels, Lewis said the district has no such limits for grades 9-12.

He said district officials have been working with principals to come up with a number and that 25 is what they have discussed.

Administrators at some of the schools with larger at-risk student populations are asking for permission to have smaller class sizes to allow for greater student success.

“If we can get a preferred class size at the high school level, we can recoup some of those positions,” Lewis said.

That could allow the district to cover some of those enhancement needs.

The budget presentation included possible scenarios to cover a portion of the $5 million deficit with staff cuts or not filling positions.

The breakdown included cutting 30 certified positions for a savings of $1.6 million; 40 positions at a savings of $2.1 million; and 50 positions at a savings of $2.665 million.

Dunsmore said that in addition to the uncertainties with what education will look like this fall, he is also unsure of how many personnel will return.

For now, the district is allowing principals to continue interviewing candidates for open jobs, but hiring is at a standstill, he said.

Dunsmore said he also expects that fall sports will be affected, and likely canceled, by COVID-19 restrictions, which would mean the district would save about $275,000 in coaching supplements this coming year.

Also included on the savings list is a reduction in the extra custodial expenses associated with a contract with High Standard Cleaning, which would eliminate an estimated $350,000 and a reduction in middle school allotment of CTE (career and technical education) positions, at an estimated savings of $750,000.

Other concerns are potential funding deficits at the state and county levels.

Currently, the state provides funding for 12.75 percent of exceptional children students. Wayne County’s number is 15 percent. That difference has to be made up in other ways.

Making sure that state funding changes are made to cover that deficit, and lobbying state lawmakers to champion that cause in the Legislature, is critical.

The local allotment provided by the county also is a factor in exceptional children program funding.

That contribution came under scrutiny this past year, and resulted in questions about funding Edgewood Community Developmental School. Cuts to the funds available prompted school officials to propose moving students from Edgewood to classrooms inside the new Meadow Lane Elementary School.

Dunsmore emphasized that the county contribution to the EC funding is about more than Edgewood. It includes additional support for children across the district such as speech services, occupational and physical therapy and psychological services.

Maintaining that support is critical, he said, as is keeping the at-risk funding provided by the county, which help fund school resource officers.

Finance Officer Michael Hayes said there are also concerns about low-wealth and at-risk student state funding. Tighter purse strings could make it harder for the district to continue using those funds to make up deficits in other areas and to provide enhanced instruction.

“We are at a point where we cannot absorb a lot more in the low-wealth category,” Hayes said.

The superintendent also expressed concern over the county’s allotment to the schools, saying that there is no question that more funding would be needed in the new year, especially in light of the fact that the county’s proposed sales tax increase failed at the ballot box. Capital needs in the district, which the tax increase was meant to cover, will not go away, he said.

Board members said they planned to review all the proposed options at their meeting Monday, when Dunsmore said he would present the district’s recommendations to the board.

Dunsmore said he has asked to present the district’s case to the county commissioners in person to make sure they understand the school district’s financial needs and the importance of enhanced local funding.