Cabarrus County Schools proposes roughly $314 million 2026–27 funding request; board asks staff to include 14% teacher‑supplement option

Cabarrus County Schools officials on March 30 presented a proposed 2026–27 budget that would seek roughly $314 million in combined operating and capital funding under a device‑leasing scenario and asked the board to consider an alternate certified‑supplement option ahead of a public hearing next week.

Philip Penn, the district’s chief financial officer, told the Board of Education the recommended request, if the county agrees to a proposed $5 million offset from last year’s surplus, would leave a net county‑funded continuation request of about $105.2 million — an increase of roughly 3.52% over the current year. Without that county offset, Penn said the increase would look more like 8.43%.

“It's literally money in and money out,” Penn said of a separate state supplemental stipend program for teachers, and he described the district’s broader numbers: roughly 50–55% of operating revenue comes from the state public school fund, 20–25% from local operating sources, and about 3% from federal grants. Penn estimated total district revenues about $450 million on an actual/current‑year basis and stressed capital totals vary because of several large construction projects this cycle.

Why it matters: the proposal is the district’s step toward the April 6 public hearing and an April 13 adoption target; it frames how much the…