County budget has more school money
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 29, 2016 1:45 AM
As promised, Wayne County's $148,292,780 budget proposal for fiscal year 2016-17 unveiled Tuesday morning increases funding for the county's public schools, including $600,000 to jump start the system's new technology plan.
It also shares in the economic growth in the budget's general fund by providing an additional $387,395 for the school system's current expenses. Of that total $150,000 is earmarked for the technology plan. The promise is to continue the $150,000 in new funding annually for up to four years.
The school system's new facilities plan was not discussed by Wayne County commissioners during Tuesday morning's special session to receive the budget.
However, County Manager George Wood did mention it while noting that the county's debt would drop by more than $2 million annually by fiscal 2020.
"The reason that is important is if we start the debt service payment on the ag center and possibly these schools in '18, we only need to bridge two years, fiscal year '18 and '19 and then our debt service declines by $1.4 million," Wood said. "That is going to free up money to help pay for the Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center and also the 911 center.
"So I wanted you to be aware of that because I know everybody has been concerned about how are we going to afford that."
Chairman Joe Daughtery said that means the county would only have to cover two years of extra debt. Wood said that is correct.
"In worse case you could use fund balance," Wood said. "But you will have additional revenue growth to offset some of that. But if you have to, you can fund balance. Then after that you are saving far more than we need for that and you can actually pay some of that balance, if you use it."
Daughtery Thursday afternoon guardedly confirmed that meetings on that plan are continuing between the leadership of both boards.
Daughtery said he hopes to see a resolution to those discussions within the next few weeks.
The school board's top priority in its five-year plan is a $21.8 million project that would combine Meadow Lane Elementary and Edgewood Community Development schools into a single new facility.
The new school would be built on the current Meadow Lane campus on East Ash Street.
Located on Peachtree Street, Edgewood serves developmentally handicapped students.
The second priority calls for $4.6 million to add 22 classrooms at Fremont STARS Elementary in an effort to ease overcrowding at Northeast and Northwest elementary schools.
Rounding out the top three as a "future consideration" is $6.1 million to add an auxiliary gym and 16 classrooms at Southern Wayne High School to replace mobile units at the school.
Other "future considerations" include $3.5 million to add 12 classrooms at Brogden Primary School at Dudley to replace modular units and allow for population growth; future Goldsboro Middle School (currently Wayne Middle High Academy), cost to be determined to renovate or replace the existing gym to allow for competition use at the middle school level; $17.2 million to replace Rosewood Middle School; and renovate or replace the main building at Fremont STARS Elementary, cost to be determined.
In an earlier interview Daughtery said there is no mood in the county to raise taxes to meet the estimated $60 million to $75 million in school facility needs.
But following a tour that included Meadow Lane Elementary School and Eastern Wayne High School, Daughtery said that "everything is on the table" including potential sales and property tax increases.
Commissioners also have told the school board they want it to demonstrate that the system is using all of its existing facilities in order for commissioners to justify as they go to find the dollars out of the county taxpayers.
The facilities plan addresses those concerns by recommending that the present Wayne Middle High Academy, an alternative school, be converted back to its original intent and become a middle school.
That would help alleviate overcrowding at Norwayne Middle School.
Commissioner Ed Cromartie asked Wood to provide an overview of school funding.
Wood said that approximately 70 percent of school funding comes from the state.
"Public education is actually under the North Carolina Constitution as a state responsibility," Wood said. "They may get some money, probably between five and 10 percent from the federal government through some various programs there. The rest of it which would be 20 to 25 percent is local money, which is the county.
"If you count what we are spending for debt service also it (local funding) is about $28 million. You guys are to be commended because you are funding them at a good level now with this budget. We have added $600,000 to that technology plan for one-time, one-year appropriation to jump start that plan," Wood said. "So you are actually seeing $750,000 toward that technology plan for one year."
Other school funding includes: Edgewood Developmental School, $587,000; Wayne Initiative for School Health (WISH), $170,000; and the mobile pre-k bus, teachers and teacher assistants, $110,000.
It provides $766,722 for school resource officers. The schools reimburse the county $359,883. Another $184,000 is reimbursed from a state grant.
The county has taken a "big step" in funding, Wood said.
"There are three components of it," he said. "You have increased their operating money. So if the governor's proposals for raises come through, and we have to pay our share of that, you should have that covered with what you are giving them. The second component is we have all known they needed to do more technology."
Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore has developed a "good plan" to address those needs, Wood said.
"I think we have worked well together," he said. "You now have a plan in place to fund that. We are even jump starting with $600,000 in extra money this year. The third component is their capital outlay and we are already talking about what you might do there.
"You already give them $2 million a year toward maintaining the schools with major renovations and things like that. I think that the level you are funding them at now is much better than it has been in the past."
That money comes from sales tax revenues that must go to the schools, of which the county allocates $2 million a year, Wood said.
The budget is open for public inspection at the county clerk's office on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7.
Two work sessions are planned as well. The first, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14, will focus on internal county departments. The second, at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 15, will look at funding for outside agencies.
The budget could be adopted on either June 21 or June 30.