From the looks of it, Lenoir County Schools will hardly experience any changes in the upcoming school year’s budget.
But you can never be too sure.
LCS called a special board meeting last week for approval of the 2013-14 planning budget as Wednesday was the submission deadline.
“It’s pretty standard,” said Lisa Davis, LCS financial officer. “We’re just trying to keep all of our positions in place.”
With nearly $9 million projected for the next school year, the state’s Department of Public Instruction will send the school district an official budget allotment at an unknown date.
“There may have to be some changes at that time,” Davis said. “Based on those allotments, we feel like we’re going to be able to keep everybody in place that we have now. That’s not to say once legislation (adjourns), what’s going to take place.”
LCS officials have heard budget cut murmurs between 5-12 percent, so the district is planning around a 10 percent cut.
“We have no idea what it’s going to be at this point,” said Davis, noting the official budget allotments could be released as late as October.
The sequestration cuts will go into effect this school year; coupled with Gov. Pat McCrory’s proposed budget, education could get hit hard.
LCS Superintendent Steve Mazingo said in an earlier interview the district’s analysis of the governor’s budget is about a $1.5 million cut, slicing lower grades teacher’s assistants and some teachers out of the schools.
“I think he originally thought he was cutting teacher assistants, but what he didn’t realize is we have the flexibility to use that for teachers and teacher’s assistants,” Mazingo said. “We’re hoping from better news from the Senate and House on the budget.”
Davis said the governor’s budget doesn’t look good.
“If the governor’s budget passed, we’d have to make some cuts,” Davis said. “We just pray that doesn’t happen. This is just a planning budget; we’re just going by what we have.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.