WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Hundreds of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools employees are losing their jobs as the district moves forward with a major Reduction in Force (RIF) to close a massive budget shortfall.
The school board approved eliminating about 343 positions, reducing the months of employment for nearly 300 employees, demoting more than 50 staff members, and placing over 1,200 employees on furloughs. The cuts are designed to help close a $46 million deficit from last year while also saving another $19–25 million this year.
Impact on Students and Families
Much of the reduction hits Exceptional Children (EC) teachers and assistants, testing coordinators, assistant principals, and Central Office staff. District leaders insist student services — including federally mandated special education support — will continue, but many educators worry about stability in classrooms.
“Most teachers are parents themselves,” said Brian Proffitt, Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). “When you disrupt that stability, it doesn’t just affect families, it affects students too.”
Protest Talk Meets Legal Limits
As frustration grows, some employees have discussed protesting the layoffs — even through a coordinated call-out of work. But North Carolina law prohibits strikes or walkouts by public school employees. Coordinated “sickouts” can be treated as illegal work stoppages, leaving teachers vulnerable to lost pay or discipline…