WS/FCS to cut central office positions after overspending budget last year

An audit found that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools overspent its budget last year by about $16 million. District officials say staffing cuts are necessary to avoid a deficit. 

The district spent about $10 million more on salaries last fiscal year than what was budgeted. It also went over on employee benefits and payments to charter schools. 

At a board of education meeting this week, finance officials said they projected having more revenue than they did. As a result, the district had to use its savings to pay out raises for teachers, bus drivers and other staff members. 

Now, Superintendent Tricia McManus says the district needs to cut costs and replenish its savings. 

“This will never be something easy or that I would want to do, but to have that fiscal sustainability for our school district, it's necessary, as you looked at what we're spending on personnel costs," McManus said. 

She aims to save $8 million this year and $16 million next year by reducing central office staff, eliminating long-term substitutes and furloughing the executive leadership team. Seventy-six positions are expected to be eliminated, and 116 will be impacted. 

The district is also proposing reducing travel, freezing spending on non-essentials and merging Kingswood School and Main Street Academy.

The board of education will be asked to approve the plans on April 8. 

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