Through program cuts, reductions-in-force, operational changes, and community help, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools budget deficit is down to $6.4 million.
Love at the Kernersville Honeybee Festival
A new romantic comedy by playwright Scott Icenhower, running now through Feb. 22 at Stained Glass Playhouse in Winston-Salem.
Originally, the deficit resulting from the 2024-2025 school year was more than $46 million. This number was revised down in the latest audit to $43.7 million.
The All In For Our Schools community initiative raised $5.6 million for debt repayment and the county provided $5 million in debt forgiveness. Another $2.4 million worth of private donations helped pay down one of the last outstanding debts to ESS, the contractor for substitute teachers.
Superintendent Don Phipps was not in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting due to a previous engagement at a conference. Chief Human Resources Officer Christopher Weikart delivered the budget update as well as the timeline for finalizing next year’s budget. Weikart asserted the current year’s budget is balanced.
The meeting also discussed prioritizing hiring a new CFO, noting there are 15 vacancies statewide and competition will be high.
The community is invited to participate in a meeting to discuss the 2026-2028 strategic plan on Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Education Building, 4801 Bethania Station Road in Winston-Salem.
The next board meeting will be February 24.
Follow Scope News for coverage on the school board primary election on March 3.
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