The Cumberland County Board of Education still has some decisions to make with the fiscal year 2025-26 budget but the process may be easier than in the past.
That’s because the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners earlier this month approved $103 million in current expense funding for the schools.
The money will be sufficient to increase certified and classified staff supplements, according to Lindsay Whitley, associate superintendent for Communications and Community Engagement. A supplement is additional compensation given to a school employee on top of their regular salary. No amounts were discussed.
“With this approval, Cumberland County Schools can begin operating in the new fiscal year which begins on July 1,” Whitley said.
The resolution was approved during a workshop held Monday at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
“That’s huge,” said Jay Toland, associate superintendent of Business Operations, as he opened the discussion. “I was real glad to see this come out of there.”
The commissioners also approved $300 million for school facility maintenance and another $160 million for future construction of schools over the next seven years.
The approval of board’s funding request in its entirety was a “historic decision,” Whitley said.
Board member Jackie Warner, a former teacher and principal in the Cumberland County Schools, agreed.
“They [the commissioners] never fully fund a budget [request]. This is the first time they’ve ever fully funded and given money for maintenance,” she said.
The budget’s guide and theme is “Anchored in Excellence: Investing in Our People, Supporting Every Student,” Whitley said.
“It shows the school system’s continued efforts to target student success, support of educators and a long-term community impact,” he said.
Deanna Jones, chair of the Cumberland County Board of Education, called the funding fulfillment “an investment in the people who serve our schools every day.
“We are deeply grateful to the Board of Commissioners for their historic commitment to our school system. Their decision is a powerful investment in CCS and the future of Cumberland County.”
Once the North Carolina General Assembly adopts a budget, the school system will know how much it will receive in state funds. The state fiscal year ends on June 30, but it seems unlikely that the legislature will have an approved budget by then as legislators look to begin their long break this week, NC Newsline reported.
