To no one's surprise, Wake County Manager David Cooke is recommending giving the school system $313.5 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

County commissioners had indicated they'd be willing to give the school system the same amount it had gotten the past two years. That intention was reflected today in the $951.5 million budget proposed by Cooke.

As noted in today's online article by Thomas Goldsmith, the county is also allowing the school system the choice whether to continue spending $900,000 on 4-H and Ready to Learn programs or convert that funding to other uses.

UPDATE

The only way the school system can use the money for its own purposes is if it agreed to make what would be an unpopular decision to eliminate 4-H and Ready to Learn services that county Human Services now provides to schools.

Some buyer's remorse may be setting in over the Forest Ridge High site.

As noted in today's article, County Commissioner Joe Bryan called the process involving the acquisition of Forest Ridge High an "embarrassment." Bryan and Lindy Brown had both initially voted against buying the property before flipping the votes.

At issue is the $7.5 million price tag for offsite improvements for the parcel. That's higher than the $1.6 million budgeted for the work.