Forsyth Schools May Feel Impact of Budget Cuts Next Year

With federal budget cuts taking place due to the sequester, Forsyth County Schools may see cuts in funds it would receive next year, which would impact the 2013-2014 school year.

"As for federal impact to our budget, we have not received specific information from them or the state on these areas, so we are unable to respond with specifics," said Forsyth Schools spokesperson Jennifer Caracciolo, who told Patch that the school system has not started the budget process for the next school year. 

"We do receive funding for Title 1 and 6B, as well as school food. If we do receive reductions from the state or the federal government, then our only options are local taxes or reductions," she said. "We are operating on the same budget figure that we operated on five years ago; however we are doing it while serving 8,000 more students and having our staff work three less days each year."

Nationwide, these spending cuts in schools would likely have the most impact on Head Start programs, which would be cut by about $398 million, says the National School Boards Action Center (NSBAC). Head Start provides services to some $70,000 low-income children.

"Congress and the Obama administration must act now to alleviate these cuts to education before school districts have to issue pink slips and inform parents that vital programs and resources are going to be cut,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, the National School Boards Association’s Executive Director, in a press release. “These new federal cuts to education will push back the progress our school districts have made in student achievement. School districts are going to have to make difficult choices as they develop their budgets for the next school year, and for years to come as the cuts continue.”

See accompanying video produced before the sequester for more on the NSBAC's stance on the budget cuts.

Are you concerned about the impact federal cuts would have in Forsyth schools? Tell us in the comments!