Teachers and parents press W‑S/Forsyth school board to restore EC and bilingual staff, urge May 1 action in Raleigh

Educators, parents and community members told the Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools board on Tuesday that planned staffing cuts would undermine services for students with significant needs and asked trustees to press county and state officials for funding.

Speakers repeatedly asked the board to restore 242 Exceptional Children (EC) positions and 30 bilingual positions that, they said, had been discussed and in some cases promised at recent meetings. Several teachers said that cuts to preschool and EC supports were already degrading classroom conditions and could expose the district to legal risk if Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements were not met.

Riley Barnes, a third‑grade teacher and FCAE member, told trustees that the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is changing and called the proposed $8 million curriculum purchase “a wasted” investment if it is misaligned with upcoming standards. Other speakers, including Michelle Jordan and Caroline Warren, described crowded preschool classrooms and insufficient one‑on‑one support for EC students.

Several public commenters invited board members to join a May 1 trip to Raleigh to lobby state legislators. Heather Morgan, a Petrie Elementary School teacher, framed the request in historical terms, asking trustees to “get on the bus” in solidarity with other educators seeking increased state funding.

One public commenter, Peter Antoni, said he had found $2.3 million in errors in the district budget slides; board members asked staff to distribute corrected materials so trustees could review them before finalizing budget requests. No board decision was reached during public comment; the board later tabled the FY27 local budget request to allow more review.

What’s next: Board members said they will continue discussions at a workshop and at an upcoming regular meeting before finalizing the district’s request to county officials.