High school students need to rely on their school to provide many things. Teachers, staff support, extracurricular activities, school supplies, and more. These resources may be at risk.

Why is this? Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is currently facing budget cuts in the upcoming year. This budget cut could be caused by many factors, such as inflation, rising costs, uncertain federal funding, and even Wake County funding. One major factor is North Carolina’s funding. North Carolina has been affected by tax cuts in recent years, which have reduced the budget for schools in the state

. During April of this year, many Wake County educators and union members requested that the school board fully fund next year’s budget and reject the proposed cuts that could harm students and staff. Rejecting the cuts would benefit schools in many ways, as it avoids the trouble that comes with budget cuts; this would be the best decision for the Wake County Public School System.

In 2022, North Carolina was ranked 49th in the country for public school funding, according to a report from the Education Law Center. Considering that the public school funding was already extremely low, there is so much room for improvement and growth. This issue is concerning and leads to questions regarding the ranking’s rise or decline in the upcoming school year.

At the beginning of every school year, around June-July, school districts are given a certain amount that they are allowed to spend. This includes state, federal, and local funds. A budget deficit is the amount of money that a district spent over the amount of money that they were given to spend.

Wake County Public School System expects to have the highest deficit out of those who reported having a budget deficit, rounding out to about $60 million. Increased meal costs, state funding changes, loss of federal funding, and more could cause this rising number. Not all districts are experiencing a budget deficit, but what the citizens of Wake County can tell is that funding is not as high as it should be to support high-quality education for students. Since Wake County has the highest deficit in North Carolina, this deserves higher funding. It is important to maintain a steady spending budget to supply students with their needs.

Students fear that this budget cut can reduce resources and lead to fewer support systems. Aniyah Settles, a sophomore at Athens Drive who has been in Wake County for 2 years, weighs in on the issue. ‘¨I am scared that the budget cuts will affect my education and support services. I wonder about my counselor, whom I love talking to, or my favorite teachers who make my day even after all the work I do,” said Settles.

WCPSS believes that these budget cuts could be necessary to manage and support the financial stability of the school system. Many educators and students disagree with this opinion, as a budget cut can negatively impact society. Not only will this make classes larger, but academic achievement could decline. The consequences could be long-lasting, which could affect student achievement. This is an important issue for the school administration to avoid.

Wake County has several students, staff, and families concerned about what may happen. The community has a strong environment to lean on for support whenever it is needed. Wake County holds many schools that should be able to hold strong bonds and connections between students.

Taneshia Harris, Assistant Principal at Athens Drive, who has worked at WCPSS for 25 years, said, ¨Athens is a family-oriented school, and everyone is supported. You can go up to somebody and bond immediately here in Athens.¨
¨I feel as though the budget cuts can have some aspects that can cause us to have fewer staff, which would be a negative aspect to add to the school. These could lead to a larger classroom, which could make things more complicated,” says Harris.

Another point of disagreement regarding the federal funding is the balance between maintaining administrative support and ensuring that resources are directed to classroom needs. This is complicated because Wake County Services is unaware of where to make cuts in the decision-making process.

The board is continuing to navigate through this issue. Many administrators, families, and students remain committed to finding a solution. A solution that will protect the needs of students and staff. One thing that is deeply needed in this moment, as people are working through this it is to be patient and truly understanding. Wake County should try its best to avoid these budget cuts, which could be beneficial in many ways for our community and others.