Cabarrus schools budget gets bigger and plans for cuts. What parents should know
Cabarrus County Schools plans to request millions more in local funding this year, but there could be staffing positions cut and a budget squeeze in vital programs.
The district plans to request nearly $342 million in local funding for fiscal year 2025, an increase of almost $90 million from last year, as it faces rising costs and growing student enrollment.
Chief Financial Officer Phillip Penn presented the budget proposal to school board members Monday night. He outlined how the district aims to maintain current operations while absorbing higher expenses, including personnel costs, support for special education programs and new construction.
The district has been hard-pressed for funds this year, too. It faces a nearly $9 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2024 as it struggles with unexpected costs and funding sources that have fallen through.
New elementary and high school in Cabarrus
Spurred by increased enrollment, school construction and maintenance account for $239 million of the total request. The district requested around $162 million for capital improvements last year.
The district’s enrollment currently sits at 35,366 student, an increase of about 5% over the past five years. Penn said the district expects around 400 new students per year for the next five years.
To manage student growth, the district is set to request $49 million to build a new elementary school. The school is projected to be built in southwest Cabarrus County and would have 940 seats, according to the district’s capital plan. The district also plans to seek funding to replace Northwest Cabarrus High School with a new 1,800-seat school costing roughly $130 million.
The district will also request nearly $7 million for equipment replacement and maintenance, including purchasing new student Chromebooks, replacing outdated TVs, flooring and HVAC units.
Position cuts and class sizes
One key district concern is personnel costs, which Penn anticipates will cost nearly $3 million more than was appropriated last year. These include salary increases, rising retirement contributions and insurance costs.
Penn said the district will eliminate 60 positions in order to cut down on costs. Though the district will not allow class sizes to get too large where there are no limits set by the state, school board member Pamela Escobar said schools will feel the impact of these cuts.
“We will feel it… our principals will feel it, our kids could feel it, our teachers because if you have more kids in a classroom it’s harder work, it’s more to do,” she said. “I’m just trying to make this clear that we’re not sitting here at the county saying ‘we want this money and we’re not thinking about the fact that it’s going to take some sacrifice on our end.’”
Special needs program
The district’s Exceptional Children program, which serves students with disabilities and special needs, is also under pressure.
Penn said the number of students in the program has increased while the district has had difficulty staffing the program. The district has seen an increase of about 700 EC students since 2020, with around 4,500 currently in the program.
“We’re continuing to see continued growth in students receiving EC services. There continues to be a scarcity of EC staff. I expect that to continue, to what degree I can’t predict” he said. “I’m concerned about revenue shortfalls, even with the decreased expectations we have for next year.”
What’s next?
The budget proposal was followed by a public hearing, though few people spoke. The board of education will submit any changes to the budget before approving it on April 14 and sending it to the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners on April 15.
Board chair Rob Walter encouraged parents to reach out to the district with any questions or comments. The budget proposal can be viewed on the district’s website.
