The Wayne County Board of Education and Wayne County Commissioners held a joint meeting on Tuesday afternoon at the Maxwell Center to discuss Wayne County Public Schools Superintendant Dr. Marc Whichard’s proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year.
Dr. Whichard began Whichard by discussing his creation of a Strategic Initiatives Commission and how the individuals that comprise that commission come from across Wayne County. He presented a mission and vision for Wayne County Public Schools while adding that he is working with the Strategic Initiatives Commission to establish a five-year plan consisting of realistic goals to create academic achievement within the school district.
Dr. Whichard also highlighted the lack of funding Wayne County Public Schools has received locally in comparison with other schools in the Southeast Region.
According to the NC Public School Forum in 2023, Wayne County invested $1,215 in per-pupil funding into students attending Wayne County Public Schools. In comparison, New Hanover County Schools received $3,431 in per-pupil funding.
Dr. Whichard also drew a correlation between funding and academic performance while pointing out Wayne County’s grade level and subject EOG and EOC combined grade level proficiency scores from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
In 2021-22, Wayne County finished with a 40.4 score, and a 41.6 in 2022-23. In comparison, Carteret County Schools led the Southeast Region in both school years with 65.6 and 66.7 scores respectively.
In Whichard’s proposed budget he presented projected capital needs that include roofing projects at C.B. Aycock, Southern Wayne, and Norwayne, asphalt paving and seal coat projects, a waste management vehicle, facility utilization movement costs, modular movement and set up, and athletic facility needs.
Whichard’s capital request outlay is $5,150,000.
Whichard also proposed raising the supplements for certified staff, principals, assistant principals, and classified staff.
Whichard’s 2024-25 total budget request is $24,219,880 with a $5,150,000 capital outlay. Wayne County Public Schools budget for the current 2023-24 school year is $20,556,276.
“You’re looking at roughly four million dollars in an increase,” Wayne County Commissioner Joe Daughtery said. “I hope everyone in this room recognizes that (the County Commissioners) don’t have money trees we go and shake and it comes out of the sky or anything. Four million dollars would represent us raising property taxes by about five cents. That is only from the expense category.”
Wayne County Commissioner Antonio Williams pressed Dr. Whichard on his plans for the schools in District 2.
“My concern is District 2, and some of the schools we have there,” Williams said. “We’ve already focused on most of the schools on the Northern side of the county. District 2, we’ve just seen patchwork. District 2, what’s the plan? With Brogden, I thought we would be getting a new school over there. What’s the board doing?”
Dr. Whichard responded to Commissioner Williams’ concerns by saying, “We have applied for new funding from the state to assist us in building a brand new Brodgen Primary School. Brogden is in extreme need of assistance. I’ve been very clear on that, and that is a key focus for us. That is our next school construction project.”
Daughtery closed his lengthy questions and comments for Whichard by saying, “With all those issues, we all have to recognize we have some serious issues here with regards to public education in Wayne County. We’ve got to find some solutions. If that’s increased funding, it’s got to be tied to performance. We’ve got to have a plan, that (Dr. Whichard) develops, that says once we move the needle and we are (seeing) better performance, then (the County Commissioners) have to increase funding.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, members from both the Board of Education and the County Commissioners expressed interest in meeting together on a regular basis in order to collaborate in an effort to improve education in Wayne County.
