Back to school season brings uncertainty to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
After local officials eliminated of over 300 school positions — many tied to special education — educators and community members are speaking out against the "devastating" cuts
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Back-to-school season is typically a time of excitement; students picking out new supplies, teachers decorating classrooms, and families looking forward to connecting with the community.
But in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this year has been overshadowed by anger, anxiety, and uncertainty.
On Aug. 19, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) Board of Education voted to eliminate 344 school-based and central office positions (around 275 people), a move that includes instructional assistants, clerical roles, and support staff with deep cuts to the Exceptional Children's Department (EC), which serves students with disabilities. The decision has triggered community outrage, with teachers and school staff accusing the district of mismanaging funds and putting the burden of financial missteps on the most vulnerable students.
“Finding out that your school district has mismanaged funds for over eight years and that your special ed children are going to be the ones to pay for it is devastating,” said Stephanie Trillo, a Special Education Teacher at Griffith Elementary School.
In the wake of the board’s decision, students, parents, and educators have staged protests and walkouts, demanding that the plan be reconsidered and that state lawmakers hold a special session before Sept. 10 to address the financial situation. Critics argue the loss of essential support staff — particularly in special education — will have far-reaching impacts on students.
“We are losing throughout our district another 350 people or so after already losing over 200 EC (exceptional children) because they (the school district) claim that we are over allotted. They (the school district) are expanding our caseloads and they are reducing our services so that we have available to us to help with those caseloads,” Trillo told us via a TikTok direct message.
On the other hand, the school district claims the cuts will save more than $18 million annually and are necessary due to the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funding and because the district faces a whooping $46 million budget deficit.
However, a recent audit by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) attributes much of the financial shortfall to poor decision-making by school district leadership. The audit highlighted several financial missteps, including the unauthorized issuance of bonuses and failure to properly review existing contracts — all of which, along with others, contributed to the ballooning deficit.
“Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools dug itself into a deep financial hole, and it’s going to take real discipline to climb out of it. Our schools need to be focused on teaching students. That becomes a lot more difficult when you’re staring down a $46 million budget deficit,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek.
Trillo said this mismanagement could have a drastic impact at her school, Griffith elementary. She told us that the school has lost their family coordinator and front desk operator. Additionally, along with her own job security, she is concerned about Spanish-speaking students, which make up 30% of the school district.
“We have a lot of Spanish-speaking families at our school and this (the budget cuts) is gonna be a disservice to the entire Spanish-speaking community,” she said.
Although school officials maintain that failing to act now could lead to even more drastic financial consequences in the future, others argue that state lawmakers could release additional “Leandro funds” to the school district — funding intended to assist low-income schools — which could bring in an additional $100 million to the district. Republican lawmakers have not responded to local media requests for comment and Democratic lawmakers say it is up to them to approve this budget give their control of state government.
Regardless, for many educators and families, the school board’s original decision feels like yet another blow to a system already stretched to its limits.
“We are underpaid, we are underappreciated, and now we’re being told our students don’t matter, and our students are more than a budget line,” Trillo told ABC 45 News.
The budget cuts are set to be enacted on Sep 12.