At a budget workshop on Thursday, Forsyth County Commissioners said that if they give the school district any extra funding, they want it to be used for students with special needs.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools officials are asking the county for more money to cover state raises and additional teaching positions, including dozens in the Exceptional Children, or EC, department.
Those EC roles would help reduce caseloads to a more manageable level. Right now, in high school, one EC teacher is serving 38 students a day. That’s challenging, and officials say many staff members have quit as a result.
Commissioner Shai Woodbury said she has concerns about liability issues.
“Because we're coming too close to that point where there is getting ready to be violations, and you're going to pay one way or the other," she said.
District officials say they already are. They have to work with a number of EC kids this summer because they couldn’t fully meet their educational needs during the year.
"And we have been in a situation where we do have liability for not providing, or for at least being alleged to have not provided, what students need," said Laura Holland, the executive director of Exceptional Children for WS/FCS.
Commissioner Tonya McDaniel said the only way she might support the district’s request for extra funding was if the school board promised in writing to use the money for the EC department specifically.
"For me, I would need that letter to respect where we want those dollars to be funneled to," McDaniel said.
Commissioners will meet on June 4 to potentially adopt a budget.