Leaders of Alamance Community College and the Alamance-Burlington School System made their annual budget presentations to the Alamance County Board of Commissioners during a budget work session on May 30.
Ken Ingle, president of Alamance Community College, presented a budget request of $6.26 million for fiscal year 2024-25, which would be an increase of more than 37%, $1.7 million, over the $4.56 million the county provided the community college for the current fiscal year. The county managers recommended ACC budget of $5.41 million would still represent an increase of $848,000, or 18.6%.
Commissioner Craig Turner asked Ingle and Andrea Rollins, the college’s vice president of business and finance, the rationale behind their request for additional funding. Rollins cited the high inflation of the past two years.
“Some of the increase we are requesting is just putting us at current costs,” Rollins added. “It’s not that we would be spending it on anything new. We would spending it on door knobs, mini-blinds, window replacements — things like that.”
ABSS Interim Superintendent Bill Harrison presented the school system’s proposed budget of $59.17 million, a 27% increase over the school system’s current fiscal year budget.
“I come to you again with a pretty big ask,” Harrison said. “I know it’s a huge ask.”
While requesting an increase of $10.43 million, the school system is simultaneously cutting nearly $7.6 million, including the elimination of teaching and instructional support positions.
“These were really, really difficult cuts,” Harrison said.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction currently funds the school system based on its enrollment of 22,766 students. However, the state has projected a decrease in student enrollment of 581 students for the coming school year, which means ABSS is facing a significant cut in funding, Harrison said.
Commissioner Steven Carter complained about the lack of specificity in the school system’s budget proposal.
Harrison, a former ABSS superintendent, said the details that need to be reported had changed from his previous tenure with the school system.
“I apologize for not satisfying the need for details,” Harrison said. “You’re always in trouble when you assume, and I assumed I could simply submit the type of budget we used to.”
Harrison broke down the expansion budget considerations, which includes $1.4 million for technical support and equipment replacement, an operational increase of $1.4 million and an additional $500,000 for Alamance Virtual School.
Commissioner Bill Lashley questioned the cost of spending an additional $500,000 on Alamance Virtual School.
“I think that number is not accurate, because there are several things that go into making that number what it is,” Lashley said. “I don’t think Alamance County taxpayers should have to pay for the virtual school if it’s offered by [N.C. Department of Public Instruction].”
Harrison stated current enrollment of the Alamance Virtual School is 210 students. Harrison agreed that the state provides funding for virtual school students but administrative costs must be taken into account.
“A lot more money than $500,000 is being spent on the virtual school,” Harrison stated. “The virtual public school carries a cost to the school system.”
Commissioner Craig Turner asked ABSS Chief Operations Officer Greg Hook about the significant increase in operational costs, and Hook cited inflation.
“We failed to recognize inflation across the years,” Hook said.
Chief Academic Officer Revonda Johnson acknowledged that 17 of the county’s 38 schools have been classified as low-performing and said that if one more ABSS school is added to the list of low-performing schools, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction will label the entire school district as low-performing, which will lead to stricter oversight by the state.
“Our hope is we’re going to see some folks come off [the list of low-performing schools],” Johnson said. “We’ve got some great principals who have taken it to heart what our real job is — it’s the kids.”
Carter leveled his criticism at the school system based on its struggle to deliver detailed financial information to county commissioners regarding its budget proposal. Carter asserted the school system needs to rebuild public confidence by hiring a top-notch chief financial officer.
“We want to have confidence in what you provide to us, and I think we all know that’s not been the case,” Carter said.
The Alamance County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the budget on June 3 at the Historical Courthouse in downtown Graham beginning at 6:30 p.m.