CMS Told To Trim $34 Million From Budget

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were told Thursday to cut $34 million from the 2009-2010 budget. That request from Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones amounts to a reduction of about 10% in what the county will give the school system for the upcoming fiscal year.

Earlier this year, Superintendent Peter Gorman said such a cut would mean the loss of 1200 jobs including hundreds of teachers.

Jones said on Thursday that CMS accounts for about 40% of the county's total budget so cuts had to come.

"They have a big budget. So, we needed them to share in this almost $80-million reduction that we had to make," Jones said.

Central Piedmont Community College was told to cut about $2.5 million, or 9.2% of its budget.

C.P.C.C. officials said they plan to save money by going to a 4-day work week this summer and by freezing all open positions.