CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — A decision from state leaders about the distribution of money from the North Carolina Education Lottery has raised new questions about the budget plan for local schools.
Lawmakers gave final approval to a nearly $19 billion budget for the next fiscal year on Wednesday.
One part of the spending plan is aimed at saving teachers' jobs across the state, but could cost Mecklenburg County $9 million.
State leaders decided to put the lottery money toward saving teachers' jobs, instead of paying for construction. The move takes away the $9 million it normally gives to Mecklenburg County to help Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pay construction debt.
That leaves the county short, creating uncertainty in both its and CMS' budget.
"We'll know within a couple of days," CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman said. "We're reading the legislation right now and we're doing the calculations."
At least some of the $9 million that Mecklenburg County typically receives to pay for school construction will still be allotted to CMS, but will instead be spent on preserving teachers' jobs.
On the surface, that leaves the county with a $9 million budget hole to fill, but it may not be that much.
The budget that county leaders recently approved anticipated a $4 million shortage in lottery funding and also set aside $2 million for other anticipated cuts in state funding.
If county commissioners used that money to make up for this loss, the possible budget gap could shrink to as little as $3 million.
County Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts said that will still be painful, but much more manageable.
"It's much easier to work with a $3 million gap than a $9 million gap," she said. "And I think we are going to be able to work through that."
Gorman said he's still hopeful that the district can gain something positive from the change.
"Our ultimate goal, we hope, is that we come out on the positive side and we'll be able to bring back more teachers," Gorman said. "That's what we're trying to do."
For more information on how lottery money is spent, click here.
For information on county-by-county funding, click here.
Previous Stories: June 29, 2010: State Creates Another Budget Crisis In Mecklenburg County June 9, 2010: CMS Cutting 500+ Teaching Jobs, Launching Review May 26, 2010: Support Builds For Using Lottery Money To Save Teachers' Jobs May 13, 2010: Hundreds Of CMS Teachers Receive Layoff Notices April 28, 2010: Community Members Make Pleas For Teachers' Jobs
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