[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6052595,"mediaKeyId","3395370-4a87ccf218047d3d3d18168c92274867","parentId",3395370,"title","Guilford County school staff press board during budget public hearing; board approves 2025–26 funding request to commissioners","audioSeconds",2331,"startMs",4985000,"endMs",7316000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395370-4a87ccf218047d3d3d18168c92274867&start=4985&end=7316","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395370-4a87ccf218047d3d3d18168c92274867/thumbnail_4985000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6052595/North-Carolina/Guilford-County-school-staff-press-board-during-budget-public-hearing-board-approves-202526-funding-request-to-commissioners","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6052595-ebac28167f3774abecfda38b9185d9a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147625&Signature=BZwSr5ZgYrXozADRoHrKMne2Ei3HQqA-CgxK90VPg3GWqwnK4td4oS61wZNfJ4QIFHnGxa5zwh3jlebKS8kWKSBwqMVd4TCceaJgiEl26J8mVgqyUbmYq7OSnAX2sh4DMSDT0KGAL0DiUEd3PpWfM3g9GSg-pj56LdgpQykLNUjDy0B2uUODTRbYP8eYvuYjIhrOeBz82JwZS6DjFn4WCE7ooMzy4gQiIRUPphn2ULLiOAWjW96Yn0azohErVxX75y46HubRSTC4dMziWcBx7U-9dPBTWpvofIAbe50ZPsLjQunFkjaTy4sy5Rq6qTodpA7L2N05HYQnjSexeL0okA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Guilford County Schools","date","2025-04-09T13:08:09Z","article","The Guilford County Board of Education opened a public hearing on the superintendent's proposed budget and heard more than two hours of public comment focused largely on employee pay, staff shortages and building maintenance before voting to approve the district's 2025–26 funding request to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

Many speakers at the April public hearing — custodians, cafeteria managers, teachers and union representatives — urged the board to seek additional local revenue to raise pay for classified staff and mid-career teachers. Joanna Pendleton, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators, urged the board to ask commissioners for more funds and suggested a property tax increase that would cost the average homeowner about $5 per month: \"We can't choose to let our students pay the price for this shortfall,\" she said.

Why it matters: speakers said continued underfunding is forcing employees to take second jobs, leaving critical positions unfilled and causing service interruptions at schools with urgent maintenance needs. Multiple parents and staff highlighted Page High School as an example of ongoing facility problems — leaks, inadequate cafeteria capacity and partial HVAC failures — and asked the board for a clear long-term plan if a full replacement is not scheduled.

Public testimony and board response
Most public testimony focused on compensation and retention. Cafeteria manager Rondisha Wallace described staff who cannot afford to attend funerals because of pay constraints and directly asked the board for \"steps, grades, and a livable wage.\" Teachers and instructional assistants described being paid at frozen salary steps and working second jobs. Amy Harrison, a special education teacher and local union treasurer, said she had not received a state pay raise larger than $80 in a single year since 2015 and called on the board to prioritize supplement funding that helps experienced staff.

Several speakers also urged the board to press Guilford County commissioners for additional revenue, including a proposed two-cent property tax increase discussed publicly by advocates as one possible source of local funds to close an estimated county-district gap. Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the county and state funding constraints repeatedly raised by speakers and reiterated that the district must balance long-term capital work with immediate maintenance and personnel needs.

Board action and votes
After the public hearing and regular agenda debate, the board voted to approve and forward the district's 2025–26 funding request to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. The motion passed with eight votes in favor and one opposed (Deborah). The board previously approved other consent items and opened and closed the budget public hearing by recorded voice votes earlier in the meeting.

What the board approved: the formal motion approved at the meeting forwarded the superintendent's funding request package to county commissioners for consideration; the district's request included personnel, program and capital priorities as outlined in the superintendent's budget documents presented at the hearing. The motion did not itself change tax rates or appropriate county funds; those decisions rest with the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

Context and next steps
Speakers, several board members, and the superintendent called for continued advocacy to county and state officials. Board members said they will present the approved request to the commissioners and continue conversations about revenue options and priorities. The county budget process will determine whether the board's request is funded, partially funded or deferred.

Ending note: the public hearing made visible the staff-level effects of ongoing funding constraints — from custodial and nutrition staffing to HVAC reliability — and the board's vote forwarded the district's funding priorities to the county for final consideration.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Guilford County Schools Board of Education - April 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Guilford County Board of Education opened a public hearing on the superintendent's proposed budget and heard more than two hours of public comment focused largely on employee pay, staff shortages and building maintenance before voting to approve the district's 2025\u001326 funding request to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.","taxTitle","Guilford County Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",14092,"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},6052590,"Guilford County Schools warns of looming device-replacement bill, AI guidance and warranty gaps",1839,7268000,9107000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395370-4a87ccf218047d3d3d18168c92274867&start=7268&end=9107","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395370-4a87ccf218047d3d3d18168c92274867/thumbnail_7268000.jpg","/articles/6052590/North-Carolina/Guilford-County-Schools-warns-of-looming-device-replacement-bill-AI-guidance-and-warranty-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6052590-815200c1a605f76f7a1d7a111c4449c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147625&Signature=Zq0QLg7Zeju8xIDyMXc6sbN0Dp7K-PJ~Q~8coq3-czYFme-N46wPjFElM4guWhmISEpDklsWJFPbqJwgmTPwbAPAp3u6iS~WxpWy8fpSjMIfb3fHo12ULw6so1TIEfj5lrQ9~W7yx6mHeTcDHlFzMdRQf4ymTrxhVswI45xb7xcEK8qzGAxaQxMmlvT7X79t4yfzA1CjvI50IXWqyLpPz9ebeSscWSGBQVObD2~6QgUlricryI~Cah64IFIefYzV8bQ9oOEMRlgyG-pPOxAoP8yjba1hSy5RiHs8tirQ3hXK8IamXY0qr3s0kJs8KJ5HS88D8i5b4fepTQ6lpdAWkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Guilford County Schools' technology services staff told the Board of Education that devices bought during the pandemic are reaching the end of their expected life cycles and that sustaining one-to-one access will require steady funding, new procurement choices and updated management practices.

Technology director Dr. Slayton outlined national trends — the end of pandemic ESSER funding, rising bandwidth and cybersecurity needs, and the rapid growth of AI in K–12 classrooms — and gave district-specific figures: the district manages roughly 96,000 devices, maintains a warehouse surplus of about 10,700 units, and currently records a device loss/damage rate near 5.9 percent. He said about 71 percent of the district's devices will be out of warranty heading into the 2025–26 school year, creating a projected repair exposure of roughly $2.7 million for that year if current damage rates continue.

Why it matters: without a sustainable device-refresh strategy, the district risks losing its 1:1 device access as older devices fail or become unsupported. Technology staff recommended developing a multi-year plan and exploring subscription/technology-as-a-service models, manufacturer buyback credits and targeted capital requests.

Key numbers and options presented
Dr. Slayton presented a sample life-cycle plan that would replace roughly one-fifth of the student and staff device fleet each year — an approach that would require an estimated $9 million in year one and an approximate $45 million over five years to maintain a rolling refresh cycle. He said the figure is illustrative and subject to procurement negotiations and market conditions; recent tariff and supply trends have already affected pricing.

Warranties and operational impacts
The director warned that once warranties expire, repair costs, device downtime and cybersecurity risk rise. He gave an example: in 2023–24, if warranties were not in place, device repairs alone would have cost roughly $1.8 million; with warranties ending district-wide, the district could be facing multi-million-dollar repair and replacement needs in 2025–26.

AI, student training and inventory controls
Technology staff also briefed the board on artificial intelligence. Dr. Slayton said district workgroups and advisory sessions with teachers, classified staff and students are shaping guidance and professional learning; he emphasized that teacher-facing training must precede broad student-facing policies. The district has an inventory dashboard that reports device status daily and a toolset that can remotely disable or lock devices that cannot be accounted for. If a locked device is later powered on and reconnects, the system will report its location to district staff.

Internships and workforce development
As part of career and technical education partnerships, tech services ran paid student internships last summer that exposed students to warehousing, software development, IT support and cybersecurity work. Dr. Slayton said the experience both provided labor to the department and served as on-ramps to local technical careers.

Board questions and follow-up
Board members asked about charger shortages (district gave surplus chargers to schools and ticket volume declined), whether device fees would help (district advised fees produce equity issues and administrative burdens), and the viability of multi-district purchasing and state contracts (district staff said state contracts and procurement rules shape options but additional cooperative approaches can be explored where lawful). Dr. Slayton recommended a cross-functional team to identify sustainable funding paths and to finalize a recommended refresh cadence for board consideration.

Ending: technology staff asked the board to consider the multi-year financing needs alongside other district priorities and said they will continue returning specific budgetary proposals and procurement options as the district refines its plan.

","Technology leaders told the Board that most student devices purchased during pandemic relief are at or near end-of-life, warranties will expire for roughly 71% of devices, and sustaining a 1:1 device program will require ongoing funding. The technology director also described AI guidance and internship work with students.","actionData","errors"]

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Guilford County school staff press board during budget public hearing; board approves 2025–26 funding request to commissioners

Guilford County Schools warns of looming device-replacement bill, AI guidance and warranty gaps