The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education took one of its last steps in planning the 2010-11 budget when it voted 7-2 to approve an additional $670,000 in reductions.

The reductions would save $570,000 by eliminating foreign-language instruction in 4th grade and $100,000 by phasing in contracted custodial services when custodians retire or resign.

These cuts are in addition to the $7.5 million in cuts already approved by the school board. Those cuts include furlough days for most employees, cutting staff development and eliminating foreign-language instruction in 3rd grade.

Please click here for the complete list of reductions.

The school board has made the cuts in reaction to the following funding shortfalls:
$5.6 million in the budget proposed by the N.C. Senate
$700,000 from furlough restrictions in the budget proposed by the N.C. Senate. The proposal limits furlough days to two days per employee, while the school board's budget includes five furlough days for central office employees and 4-5 furlough days for other nonteachers. The proposal also exempts those making less than $30,000 from furloughs, while the WS/FCS budget exempts those making less than $25,000.
$176,000 in increased matching retirement requirements in the budget proposed by the N.C. State House
$1.75 million in the budget approved by Forsyth County Commissioners.
That still leaves a shortfall of $76,000, which the school board will identify once the state adopts its 2010-11 budget. Members of the N.C. General Assembly hope to adopt a budget by the end of June. Once the General Assembly adopts its budget, the school board will formally adopt its budget, which will include the identified reductions.