Winston‑Salem/Forsyth board hears plan to close $42 million shortfall, considers transportation and school staffing cuts

Interim Superintendent Kathy Moore told the Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education on June 10 that a post‑audit review and other reconciliations identified an approximately $42 million deficit for fiscal 2024‑25 and presented planned reductions for 2025‑26 intended to balance next year’s budget.

Moore said the $42 million figure was determined after a review done with an outside partner and a line‑by‑line look at allotments, invoices, charter payments and other items. She told the board that a combination of state allotment overspending (including PRC003 non‑instructional allotments), unbudgeted contract costs, underbudgeted charter school payments and rolled‑over invoices produced the shortfall. “All of these funds provided direct services to students,” she said, adding the shortfall reflected oversights and miscalculations.

Moore said staff has identified about $39 million in reductions and savings for 2025‑26 and additional one‑time items that together approach roughly $45 million in budget relief. The package includes: eliminating district‑funded transportation for students exercising school choice except for magnets and residential placements (projected savings about $3.5 million); a school‑based staffing reduction plan that the district estimates will reduce central and school positions (a planned $8.75 million reduction tied to…