[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6631301,"mediaKeyId","2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a","parentId",2680071,"title","Board approves agenda, consent items and instructional calendars; moves into closed session","audioSeconds",8947,"startMs",122000,"endMs",9069000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a&start=122&end=9069","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a/thumbnail_122000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6631301/North-Carolina/Board-approves-agenda-consent-items-and-instructional-calendars-moves-into-closed-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631301-672e6d868bc78b78b38af7e28f778f7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137389&Signature=UUqijsK0n3FIaZjH0gSlZq1n2MDTlOpFXUUNmLyVrTGWXNswkQkHl4oqs3oPBK1pCVx~GYjUrEU9-IWkfGjrHtWTaQvm-5xoGureazYPxc6fhj5BSzKg9Tm6E4OB7UF~zKGXkas9OQOCU5Znzsr90vE1gO21Ut~RTFmX8q~yTHTHRklYvy6CiG6LZsPNABYPzqOlqDz8lL6BkbjJqk8auUzeXA4KkzrAWrdve6AgcX2S6J8VLtzI153yxbL95Rja91~dAdzd~pbIorgjV75wrzLbGylNn74lFyZOldwN4TCidi0lrj5Quodz1VQXVWRegQYzS6IB47I5avqgBqDAjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wake County Schools","date","2025-03-19T01:14:41.723Z","article","The Wake County Board of Education handled several formal actions during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Meeting agenda: Approved. Motion to approve the meeting agenda was made by Vice Chair Swanson and seconded by Ms. Edmonds; the board approved the agenda by voice vote.

- Consent agenda: Adopted. Motion to adopt the consent agenda was made by Vice Chair Swanson and seconded by Mr. Hershey; the consent agenda was adopted by voice vote.

- 2025-26 instructional calendars: Approved. The board heard a brief explanation that two of three early-college calendars were unchanged and one Wake Tech partner calendar shifted the first day of school from Aug. 6 to Aug. 5 to align with a Wake Tech professional learning day; the motion to adopt the calendars was made by Ms. Edwards and seconded by Ms. Edmonds and passed by voice vote.

- Closed session: Board moved into closed session on a motion from Vice Chair Swanson, seconded by Mr. Hershey; the motion passed and the board entered closed session.

Where details were noted in the meeting: staff described two minor calendar edits that affect Wake Tech partner schools (one first day change to align with Wake Tech professional learning on Nov. 12) and indicated the rest of the calendars matched the drafts discussed in committee. The instructional-calendars motion was presented as a business agenda item and approved after a brief staff explanation.

Ending: Board actions recorded in the meeting were procedural votes and calendar adoption. The board then moved to closed session; no formal vote outcomes beyond those listed were adopted in open session during the recorded portion of the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-03-18 Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","During the meeting the Wake County Board of Education approved the meeting agenda, adopted the consent agenda, approved the 2025-26 instructional calendars with two minor Wake Tech partner changes, and voted to enter closed session.","taxTitle","Wake County Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",14083,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631306,"Students tell Wake County board a blanket cell-phone ban would harm learning and accommodations",192,3729000,3921000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a&start=3729&end=3921","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a/thumbnail_3729000.jpg","/articles/6631306/North-Carolina/Students-tell-Wake-County-board-a-blanket-cell-phone-ban-would-harm-learning-and-accommodations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631306-1e4d76cb0ebbb59931ddefe2b727e4e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137389&Signature=KNe8Em88qd66KAqrpVOqXzHRJtwmE4Cj3vVXvEo6vIAsfOhXgiU3yirweKhucW4EgW-bLXxxO73BhtKoHU-QTWaF00n9c6S4NUhcf3AIk7lftHIOdDotWs4JrIwpbWTCRUJpthxNTwJOQV0K0uLFPJElMBsHoWGfd9mamMwMtXPAN4GqvcnWnE9GTZW5nIZG7lQ-tnOHlJuEQrM7xXhOi5ha85AVrc2ctp9qQDsO0PL3vtHLQOs4wWv97f2J0U0N~6IB8Eu7p8-MRnu-3kJUJa8oST~THfxJPYshYr7OfqRkOBvayEFFhnv7ihpYpjLp~9FMrHR3ncNKsYBFfhziIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A group of student speakers urged the Wake County Board of Education to reject a blanket, schoolwide ban on cell phones, telling the board phones are an instructional tool for projects, a personal accommodation for neurodivergent students, and an organizational aid for students with 504 or other accommodations.

A freshman from Enloe Magnet High School described how cell phones are used for filming projects and for on-the-spot editing that Chromebooks do not support, and said phone access enables students to photograph board notes and capture instructions in class. The student also described anxiety and ADHD accommodations that rely on phones for timers, reminders and one-ear audio devices that help focus.

Speakers asked the board to consider policies that teach responsible device use rather than an outright ban. They said training, clear classroom rules and honoring 504 plan accommodations would address the distraction concern without removing tools that students and teachers already use for instruction and for health needs.

Ending: The board heard the testimony as part of public comment; the board's staff said the cell-phone policy work would continue and that the board will receive further recommendations at future work sessions.","Student leaders spoke at the board meeting to oppose a blanket cell-phone ban, arguing phones support project-based work, accessibility accommodations for neurodivergent students and organizational needs under 504 plans.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631311,"Teachers and librarians urge WCPSS to create equitable, districtwide library funding policy",951,4266000,5217000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a&start=4266&end=5217","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a/thumbnail_4266000.jpg","/articles/6631311/North-Carolina/Teachers-and-librarians-urge-WCPSS-to-create-equitable-districtwide-library-funding-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631311-1e96a24f761d60a99511edf4ea99841e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137389&Signature=Mtxh6qDAXgkQ4pThLUnjvDphcL53MC8t53c0vsBWg7JGoeb~7A7wDZ4Cz2gDATOhS9XBIm-P5dQ4CRPRxvu88nXV7paCZ56tyE7hBAHengPorJHyc1G7RvgaTU4SA2n1hwDD-j9zCnsgdfpJKqM0QFLrjq7zTg3AyxJWV7K9xUjksGJ0H0KHsv9WECGjXYiT7AewMLW9E-e~2SfFdmdDwiVVhkTo~FKX9-GZtsw2aTeMUrT42YISzZs1qGWmeh5tPSug6mAL1cQHR-2uG9qLYoH~evwEbwwVqow1zbvLkaP~TBQ5VakSbJCrxCBpZSvauuVfUCCyIMhYfIn2RrJmVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several school librarians and library advocates used the meeting's public comment period to urge the Wake County Board of Education to adopt a district policy to equitably fund school libraries.

Librarians said current library budgets vary dramatically because funding decisions are left to individual principals and PTAs; speakers said some schools receive no dedicated library funding while others receive tens of thousands of dollars depending on local priorities and fundraising. They told the board a consistent, districtwide funding approach would boost reading-for-pleasure, research skills, and equity across schools.

At Farmington Woods Elementary and Fuquay-Varina Elementary, librarians said refreshed collections produced measurable increases in circulation and student engagement. One speaker told the board her refreshed collection produced a 49% increase in checkouts over three years. Speakers said high-quality collections and certified librarians help the district reach strategic goals such as improved reading outcomes and graduation targets.

Speakers asked the board to consider an explicit policy that would ensure minimum allocations or a formula for library funding, noting that neighboring districts already have written policies. They said the return on investment is seen in literacy, student engagement and curriculum support. Several speakers said they would leave copies of proposed materials and collections recommendations with the superintendent's office.

Ending: Board members acknowledged the testimony and the association between libraries, literacy and student achievement. Staff and board members will consider library funding requests as part of the broader budget and policy review process.","Multiple Wake County school librarians and advocates told the board that library funding varies widely by school and asked the district to adopt a policy ensuring a basic funding floor for all school libraries.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631315,"Large public comment period urges protections for transgender students ahead of Trans Day of Visibility",5407,3118000,8525000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a&start=3118&end=8525","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a/thumbnail_3118000.jpg","/articles/6631315/North-Carolina/Large-public-comment-period-urges-protections-for-transgender-students-ahead-of-Trans-Day-of-Visibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631315-d7c080efa6979d41dd8b60bcdbc7ee27/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137389&Signature=DBmegxmc6Z951-BNMoH4ah2Oqg8MiV~33KB2qBwLMXRYOH-Jn7AgubB0IFpEfUp0sa6M-KY-yOdTNV~iU4fYnmVxaCd6d9AXzmlXoNK7v70IJTgcGlaPvmt2z5p3mIz1rMGWQIJxyqDXuMMmqEGiD-C9IXEn-3N26x8neiGQPGAkXF1ZR2KpA8YfFj9Ykd76KjWx-0yKrUeLbilxLlSmKRxL76vGgrwnASrgE70H4BRJ6IHImr-WyynYUEZoyp82AM8psFaGtVbRyMC30zG3DVaccjiniJggP5rmWdFl6KcrQ3-3do6Aom8gnqcpaF39oECxLJEVmgbOvSi-Zvys7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of students, parents and advocates used the board's public comment period to urge the Wake County Board of Education to preserve and strengthen protections for transgender and gender-diverse students ahead of Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.

Student speakers described personal experiences of bullying, exclusion and anxiety, and asked the board to keep school clubs such as GSAs and policies that respect chosen names, pronouns and restroom access. Several student speakers tied those protections to mental-health outcomes and cited national research and local examples: one speaker referenced NCAA estimates and used Wake County enrollment to argue the numerical impact of policies is small while the harm of exclusion is large.

Speakers asked the board to resist pending state and federal actions they said would reduce Title IX protections for gender identity and diminish resources for inclusive programming. Multiple parents and advocates described seeing increases in bullying and in crisis-level mental-health indicators among transgender young people when supportive school policies are removed. Several asked the board to publicly acknowledge Trans Day of Visibility and to continue training for staff and explicit anti-harassment protections.

The public comments included testimony from student leaders at Cary High School, Enloe Magnet High School and other Wake County high schools. Speakers who identified themselves as organizers or parents described the community's role in creating safe spaces for students and asked the board for concrete policies to:

- Respect students' chosen names and pronouns in school records and classrooms;
- Preserve access to restrooms and locker rooms aligned with students' gender identity or provide alternatives without stigmatizing students;
- Maintain support for student groups such as GSA that provide peer support; and
- Provide staff training, clear reporting channels, and anti-discrimination protections tied to existing Title IX practice.

Several speakers recounted personal incidents they said illustrated gaps between policy and practice. One speaker said they reported an assault that included slurs and the incident was not escalated to the district Title IX coordinator as they expected. Another speaker described how a teacher disclosed a student's gender identity to parents without that student's permission; the speaker tied that to safety concerns for students whose home environments are not affirming.

Community advocates and nonprofit leaders urged the board to publicize support for students on March 31 and to use the district's communications channels to affirm students' safety during Trans Day of Visibility. Multiple speakers also urged board members and district leaders to resist political pressure that they said would normalize exclusionary policies and to prioritize students' safety, mental health, and access to instruction.

Ending: The board did not take immediate policy action during the meeting; several speakers asked the board to make specific policy clarifications and to commit to staff training and communications in the coming weeks.","Scores of students, parents and community members urged the Wake County Board of Education to maintain and strengthen protections for transgender and gender-diverse students, citing mental-health risks and the importance of GSAs and affirming policies.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631321,"Wake County schools present superintendent's 2025-26 operating budget; $60M funding gap prompts strategic cuts",2535,140000,2675000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a&start=140&end=2675","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2680071-fd65129a1dbf2b677c83def08612595a/thumbnail_140000.jpg","/articles/6631321/North-Carolina/Wake-County-schools-present-superintendents-2025-26-operating-budget-60M-funding-gap-prompts-strategic-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631321-65d72ad33367aae86ea28fac693c3f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137389&Signature=h6xXH3SmCX-A7ZZ-yN05NMK4Hx1n1L1MvNNINp3bTIWh~y664JqOL31WK9Sej1ChG6~6GJJt8~Ji12ULq4gaEBIb0yNqLR92o2HX2xuD01~pO1fvvnm1UVQSrra9y4l5lw2DSkwK18XxjdAxxPsqoA1Y8uTd2X3KQ8lYf0VpBHwH6J-cr9WX3M6YgkvgK8w~lYX4JiCMUN6FuLOonr38oqvLAQjnhi9YTsFVVv0dsob~7IPSTLCOFu8ZUxJyGzItbCBl-pE5L4RmhHfeV5HudlMB9DvImt2YmLkBEX0H-Rse-fhuBKVaAIXaPRzs~quUq6GxpltLLe-30sjwqtUxmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Robert Taylor and budget director David Nieder presented the Wake County Public School System's superintendent's proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 during the board meeting, saying the plan is an informational starting point as the district faces uncertainty in state and federal revenue.

The presentation lays out a $2.28 billion operating budget and requests an additional $40.3 million in county appropriation. Staff told the board they estimate the district needs about $60 million of new local funding to maintain current services next year, leaving roughly a $20 million shortfall to be closed by strategic repurposing and use of fund balance.

Nieder said federal funding now represents about 8% of the operating budget (listed in the presentation as roughly $178 million, down from about $200 million last year) and that the district can no longer rely on pandemic-relief sources such as ESSER, which expired in September 2024. He warned that federal and state funding outlooks are uncertain and that the state's recent shift to funding in arrears creates additional risk to initial allotments.

The superintendent's proposed budget centers local funding priorities on four areas the district identified as essential: operating new schools, compensation and employer benefit increases, program continuity (including behavioral health positions), and charter-school pass-through funding. Staff said the proposal assumes a 3% compensation estimate for purposes of planning and uses historical data to forecast potential employer-benefit rate increases.

Nieder said the proposal includes local investments to support the opening of four new schools ' Bowling Road Elementary, Pleasant Plains Elementary, Rex Road Elementary ' and a new Felton Grove High School ' and to finance operating costs not covered by state startup allotments. The budget documents list just under $12 million in local funding to support the new schools and roughly $2 million for additional students tied to those openings.

To partially close the gap, the superintendent's proposal would use about $21.4 million of unassigned fund balance from the June 30, 2024 audited balance (staff said that level brings the district slightly below a targeted 6% threshold and exceeds the board's usual 50% guideline for one-time use, which the staff said would require a policy waiver).

Because the requested county appropriation will not cover the full local need, the budget includes a set of proposed strategic repurposings and reductions, described at a high level in the presentation and identified for more detail at the finance committee meeting that staff scheduled a week after the full board meeting. Highlights in the superintendent's slides and the presentation include:

- A proposed county appropriation request increase of $40,300,000 while staff estimate about $60,000,000 of additional local funding is needed to fully fund expected 2025-26 needs.
- Using $21,400,000 of fund balance to close part of the gap.
- Program-continuity local funding requests for behavioral-health staff and Title I continuity totaling about $3.7 million.
- Assumed compensation planning increase of 3% districtwide and continued local supplements and a master's differential for certified staff as included in the superintendent's proposal.
- Proposed systemwide and school-level reductions that staff estimate could yield approximately $9.1 million from schools and several million from central services. Examples described include freezing the extra-duty pay schedule (to prevent automatic increases even if base pay rises), revising the counselor/social worker formula, reducing supply allotments (approx. $5 per ADM), and reducing some central-office positions and contracted services.
- A proposed change to remove the employer portion of the district contribution for employee dental insurance effective Jan. 1, 2026, estimated to yield about $2.5 million.
- Central-office reductions described in the presentation: roughly $600,000 at the chief-of-schools level, $600,000 in administrative services (including a vacant senior administrator position), about $2.3 million in academic advancement (including removing digital-learning coordinator positions and reducing central instructional supplies), $2.7 million in facilities and operations, $300,000 in technology services, and smaller reductions elsewhere. Staff emphasized they will seek to place affected employees where possible and that some vacancies are being targeted to reduce personnel impacts.

Nieder walked the board through a budget development timeline: a finance committee meeting to detail strategic repurposings, a public hearing on April 8 at the board meeting, three regional public-input meetings (presented as April 11 at Fuquay-Varina Middle School, April 16 at Abbots Creek Elementary School, and a Southeast Raleigh location to be determined), and targeted board work sessions on April 8 and April 29 before the board planned to approve a board's proposed budget on May 6 to meet the statutory May 15 submission deadline to the county commissioners.

Board members and staff repeatedly framed the current cycle as one of uncertainty. Nieder said the district will continue to update the proposed budget as state legislative action and federal funding become clearer. He repeatedly described the repurposings as \"the least of all the worst possible reductions\" and said the district's priority was protecting school-based funding as much as possible.

What's next: staff said they will publish budget questions and written staff responses online and that board members should direct questions to Senior Director of Budget Terry Kimsey. Board deliberations and community input scheduled through April and May will inform any changes staff make before the board submits its proposed request to the county.

Ending: The presentation was provided as an information item; no budget decisions were adopted at this meeting. Board members asked for further details at upcoming finance meetings and public hearings. The board's subsequent formal actions on the calendar and consent agenda were taken later in the meeting.

Quotes in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and come from listed speakers.","Superintendent Robert Taylor and budget director David Nieder outlined the superintendent's proposed 2025-26 operating budget, asking for a $40.3 million county appropriation increase while describing a roughly $60 million local funding need and a package of strategic repurposings and cuts to close the gap.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves agenda, consent items and instructional calendars; moves into closed session

Students tell Wake County board a blanket cell-phone ban would harm learning and accommodations

Teachers and librarians urge WCPSS to create equitable, districtwide library funding policy

Large public comment period urges protections for transgender students ahead of Trans Day of Visibility

Wake County schools present superintendent's 2025-26 operating budget; $60M funding gap prompts strategic cuts