Dire...pt. 2

Statement from State Board of Education Chairman and CEO Bill Harrison and State Superintendent June Atkinson on Potential Budget Cuts to Education

"It is our hope that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education’s budget draft is only a beginning and that there is much more discussion ahead. It is clear the state faces an extremely difficult economic situation, and that sacrifices will have to be made. The 11 percent budget cuts outlined by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education are severe and would have a significant negative impact on our classrooms and our schools."

Following is a sample of the proposed cuts:

• Reduction of the length of the school year for students by five days in fiscal year 2009-10 and five more days (total of 10) in fiscal year 2010-11. This would reduce instructional days to 175 in 2009-10 and to 170 in 2010-11 (rather than the current 180).

• 6,005 fewer Classroom Teachers (increase class size teacher allotment by two per grade)

• 4,663 fewer Teacher Assistants (base formula on K-2 ADM rather than K-3)

• 354 fewer Instructional Support personnel (counselors, media specialists, social workers)

• 187 fewer Assistant Principals (increase allotment to 1:890 rather than 1:799)

• A 5 percent reduction to Non-instructional Support (clerical and custodians)

• Low Wealth Supplemental Funding – Fund counties at 90 percent and below. This adjustment would eliminate funding 13 school districts from Low Wealth funding. (Craven, Cumberland, Davie, Gaston, Lincoln, Madison, Mitchell, Onslow, Pender, Perquimans, Union, Warren, Yancey)

• A reduction of $4.5 million to Small County Supplemental Funding

• A 10 percent reduction to More at Four

• Elimination of Learn and Earn Online

• Elimination of application fee payment for teachers seeking certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

• Elimination of Literacy Coaches

• A non-recurring reduction of $38 million to Textbooks

• Non-recurring reduction to staff development (no funding for two years)

• A 5.38 percent reduction or $6.5 million to Central Office

• An 11 percent reduction in FY 2009-10 and an additional 4 percent (total of 15 percent) reduction in FY 2010-11 to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This would eliminate 52 positions in 2009-10 and 19 more (71 total) in 2010-11.

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E.C. :)