WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools district is exploring new ways to chip away at its $37 million budget deficit, a problem officials say will not be solved overnight.
At Tuesday night’s board meeting, district leaders said they’re considering additional staff reductions, including among custodial workers, as part of broader cost-cutting measures.
The district is aiming to repay between $2 million and $3 million of its deficit over the next school year. To do that, officials presented five repayment options to help reach that goal:
- Shift salaries from local funds to state or federal funding sources.
- Repurpose supply and service funds, including money set aside for rentals and custodial work.
- Reduce supplements and expand furloughs, potentially affecting teacher and staff pay.
- Borrow from the child nutrition fund, though any loan would have to be repaid with interest.
- Request financial assistance from Forsyth County or the state.
Custodial RIF?
Right now, there are more than 200 custodians employed across Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, but officials say they would like to get that number down to 35. The staff kept for those positions would be determined by job performance, years of service and other factors…