The school board will try to sell its request for $316.9 million to cash-strapped county commissioners today.
The school system's budget request will dominate the discussion at today's joint meeting of both boards. While the school system gets most of its funding from the state, it wants to get as much as it can from the county to avoid deeper cuts.
Depending on how you look at it, the school system is either asking for a $700,000 increase from the county or a $6.4 million bump. That's because the school board agreed in December to give back $5.7 million to help the county deal with this year's fiscal shortfall.
The problem is that the county's fiscal situation isn't looking any better. County Manager David Cooke warned commissioners on Monday that the county is now facing a $20 million budget shortfall because of lower-than-projected tax revenues.
The joint meeting is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the school board's conference room at 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh. The meeting is open to the public. But the conference room is pretty small and there's no public comment section.
Comments
We can't buy paper, ink, tires, transmissions?
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 19:41 — g88ky07How will they generate the papers necessary to operate? Is it up to parents to provide it?
No tires? No transmissions for buses? OK, works for me! Park the buses then, that should help us end this ridiculous bussing scam they continue to perpetrate on this county!
Del, did you lose your mind when you cut the hair? MYR is costing us MILLIONS and it sounds to me like none of it is needed. Can anyone name 1 of the recent 22 MYR schools that is at or over capacity? Maybe there are 2 or 3, but it looks like 15-20 of them are costing us our teachers, more hardships on families and a lot of wasted energy that could certainly be used to educate!
Remember what that is "Depends" wearing BoE?
E D U C A T I O N, try working on that!
I still say FOX News should
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 19:29 — dryeraseuserI still say FOX News should get some info about this , and then let them roll into town. Mr. Dell and his goons wouldn't want that all over the nation!
But I bet FOX news could do a little bit of investigation...since NOBODY around here seems to be able too, but more than likely they don't care and don't want to investigate.
Mr. Hui, please tell us why...
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 17:10 — momof2goodboysMr. Hui, please tell us why none of these stark facts make the news, papers, etc.? Things are getting bad. "mandatory obligations' may not even include text books, bus parts, tires, etc. How much worse can it get? Burns shows up on tv looking so sad and concerned about how they are cutting everything they can and we know that is a bold face lie! I understand you are bound to a certain extent, but can't you do something? I do really appreciate all that you do for us, don't get me wrong, I (and I imagine a lot of us) just don't understand. It's not just LRMS and LES that are under-enrolled, from what I hear it is almost all the MYR elem. schools. That's potentially a lot of $ that could be put to better use.
http://www.northraleighnews.c
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 17:49 — KeungHui (author)http://www.northraleighnews.com/news/story/227.html
Thank you but...
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 18:44 — momof2goodboysIf I didn't know all that I know from reading this blog, I still wouldn't know anything except that the MYR elem. schools are collapsing some tracks and that money is tight. None of the numbers that would make all citizens, not just parents, mad as the dickens are there. I just don't understand why the numbers that we all know are true, can't be put into something to make it clear what is going on.Heck, I bet Lisa would be glad to put something together if the N and O would print it.
If this was a business, and these facts were ignored, there would be a huge investigation. What's the difference? I don't even have a child that is in or will be going to LRMS. But knowing that my children who are in HS are going to have classes that are usually offered cut due to budget cuts, and more crowded classes because teachers are cut, and being hotter in the summer and colder in the winter, and knowing about all this wasted money, I am livid!!!! I believe most of Raleigh would be if they knew what is happening. Maybe that would put a fire under the board!
while I appreciate seeing something about this...
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 18:13 — AngelaWthis is as much as they will allow you to printand the disaster that is MYR? What about all that YOU have seen on here, it is all verifiable (at least I know what I put on here is) and yet nothing at all about facts of numbers just simply the BoE fighting amongst themselves and Gill, Head, etc etc....charging forward. where's the REAL numbers behind LRMS??
where are all the actual numbers of ALL under-enrolled MYR's, spelled out for non-parents to see just how BADLY WCPSS is wasting taxpayers dollars! When Stan wants to raise taxes anyway, the unjustified MYR's better be first on the list of things CAUSING it.
What happened at this
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 16:31 — Big_PictureWhat happened at this meeting?
I wasn't there but it's
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 17:50 — KeungHui (author)I wasn't there but it's pretty much a case of the school district saying it needs the money and the county saying it's hardpressed to provide it.
The district says it's doing what it can to cut corners
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 15:28 — AngelaWhttp://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6762933&rss=rss-wtvd-article-6762933
They SO ARE NOT !!!! Cut out MYR and conversions for no growth this coming year and SAVE MONEY, my god,I am so sick of repeating this......lies, lies, lies and NO true media reports on #'s.
It was in the paper today
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 13:38 — momof3saysnoIt was in the paper today that they are collapsing a track at Green Year Round......if they are collapsing tracks, can they NOT FIGURE OUT THAT THERE IS WASTED SPACE IN YEAR ROUND SCHOOLS ALL OVER THIS FLIPPIN' COUNTY...AND YET THEY WANT TO WASTE MORE MONEY CONVERTING MORE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY ARE JUST NOT NEEDED! This just gets more ludicrous by the second! Why are the honest truthful facts not IN the paper, ON the news, ON billboards???
Ruckus...
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 10:22 — RiversideRealistLOL LOL
Thank you for making my morning!! 8-)
Laughing At Our Expense
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 10:32 — Lisa_BHey Carmen:
Easy for you to get a good laugh at our expense...yuk yuk yuk... :)
Any spare rooms at your house for WCPSS refugees looking for a more sane situation?
Nothing to sell......
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 09:14 — WuptdoNo story here as whatever WCPSS wants it will get with the current board of "Depends" wearers rubber stamping their budget.
Don't ever forget that Norwalk & Friends believe that every Homeowner in Wake County has a magic money tree in their backyard. Recession or not, the "Depends" Board will have no problem on foreclosing on homes that are tax delinquent.
Time To Cut The Waste
Wed, 04/15/2009 - 08:50 — Lisa_BHi Keung:
I look forward to your updates during this morning's meeting.
With the State DPI stepping in regarding budgets, there may be a chance that WCPSS will finally "get real" and cut out some of the WASTEFUL spending that they're planning to do. A quick and painless decision to continue operating LRMS on the traditional calendar should be at the top of the list. (anyone can argue as to what should be priority---no one can argue that this is a necessary cut)
The wording found on WCPSS' home page mentions State Funding can be used "only for mandatory obligations". I can just see the spin regarding the wasteful MYR conversion at LRMS now---"but this is for MANDATORY year round, so it qualifies"....UGH.
Also, the article says "WCPSS finance staff will be working with state officials to clarify restrictions that appear to impact the classroom. " I'm all for keeping programs and necessary staff members IN the classrooms.
Cutting programs that DO impact the classroom is riduculous. Knowingly wasting $250,000 by continuing with an unjustified MYR conversion really is irresponsible. Forcing a conversion that will provide capacity that is not even needed for several years (at the earliest) should be removed IMMEDIATELY.
I hope the County Commissioners do some careful scrutinizing of the budget today. Please keep us updated Keung. The waste is unacceptable. (not to mention destructive and divisive to families)