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It's too early for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to back away from drastic cost-cutting plans, despite improvements in the state budget outlook, a state education official said Tuesday.
"Where we're going to end up with the level of cutting is up in the air," Philip Price, chief financial officer of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, told the CMS board.
In January, Superintendent Peter Gorman rolled out a draft of his budget plan for 2011-12, saying schools and the community need time to prepare for an anticipated $100 million in cuts to the district's $1 billion-plus budget. That plan would eliminate about 1,500 jobs, including 600 teachers.
Since then, projections of state revenue have risen and Gov. Bev Perdue released a budget plan designed to protect teachers and teacher assistants. Gorman asked Price whether his preliminary plan is still "an advisable position."
Price said it's "too early to adjust" because so many things remain in flux. Neither the House nor the Senate has drafted a budget plan yet.
