Rockingham schools planning to make mandated cuts

Rockingham County Superintendent Dr. Rodney Shotwell met with principals Thursday morning to discuss options in dealing with state-mandated budget reversions.
The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.
School districts throughout North Carolina have been ordered to return a total of $58 million to help cover a projected state budget shortfall. Superintendents learned of the reversions Monday via email.
Rockingham County schools are required to return $562,545. Shotwell asked the principals for input and answered questions. He said he does not foresee any cuts in faculty.
The education cuts are part of a series of across-the-board reductions ordered by outgoing Gov. Mike Easley. Easley told all state agencies to trim their budgets; Shotwell said he has heard the state budget shortfall could be as much as $3 billion.
As a result of Easley’s order, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction had to find $119 million. State officials found about half the amount at the state level; the remainder will come from local districts and charter schools.
“We’re not happy about it,” Shotwell said. “We’re halfway through the year. We’ve already budgeted our budgets. I realize these are bad economic times, but we’ve ordered things with certain assumptions.”
Each school district’s amount of repayment was calculated based on its average enrollments. Shotwell said the state is letting the superintendents decide on cuts. Shotwell is not sure what, specifically, will need to be cut but hopes to take a little money from various places rather than a single area.
Shotwell said he had a feeling this spring about problems with the state budget. “I thought something like this might happen,” he said. “I hoped it wouldn’t come true.”
The principals, directors and assistant superintendents will all be looking into what money is already obligated and what money is still freed up. He said they are trying to avoid letting the cuts have a major effect on county schools.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. We’re going to do everything we can,” Shotwell said.
Superintendents have about two weeks to decide where to take the money and to return it to the state. The goal to complete the plan is Dec. 8, two days before the Dec. 10 deadline.

Staff writer Mike Ryan can be reached at or at 349-4331, ext. 34.