WS/FCS Chief Financial Officer resigns amid budget challenges

The chief financial officer for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools resigned Tuesday night in the wake of a significant budgeting error.

An audit found that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools overspent its budget last year by about $16 million. 

Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kranz presented that information to the school board two weeks ago, and said his department had failed. On Tuesday, he shared plans to resign June 30.

Superintendent Tricia McManus responded to the news of his departure with a written statement to WFDD. 

"For the last three years he has worked countless hours, seven days a week, to ensure that we are able to sustain great work for students," McManus said. "Finding a replacement will be a difficult task." 

To make up for the budgeting error, officials proposed reducing 81 central office positions. Some of those were vacancies that won’t be filled and temporary employment assignments that will be ended. 

But for 42 employees, this will mean either a reduction in salary, furlough, or termination. McManus says the district hopes to help those impacted find jobs in existing vacancies within schools. 

“This is not the place we wanted to be in," McManus said. "And I apologize that we're even having this conversation today and that we didn't predict this two years ago and made these changes then.”

Several educators, including Forsyth County Association of Educators President Jenny Easter, spoke out against the plan, instead urging the school board to request more money from county commissioners. 

"Our students deserve more, not less. We are already critically understaffed," Easter said. "Do not move forward with a reduction in force, and ... make it a priority to fight for the funding to retain staff we are about to lose because of ridiculous state allotment formulas."

But multiple board members said they felt it was wrong to ask the county to bail them out of a situation they say is the district’s fault. The board ultimately voted 5-3 to approve the cuts. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.