WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is facing a $37 million budget deficit, and district leaders are now turning to state lawmakers for help in covering the shortfall.
Board leaders and members of the Forsyth County legislative delegation met this week in Winston-Salem to review the district’s financial crisis. While no decisions were made, officials say it was an important first step in finding a solution.
Breaking Down the Deficit
School Board Vice Chair Alex Bohannon explained that about $20 to $21 million of the deficit is money the district owes to outside vendors and agencies — including its substitute teaching contractor, custodial firm, the county, and the state.
“So that $20 to $21 million was essentially the money that we owe external… which is the priority for us, and I think that’s inclusive of what we owe to the state as well,” Bohannon said…