news-record.com

Principals are breathing a little easier this morning after the Guilford County Board of Education approved doling out $5 million to schools.

The 7-3 vote Tuesday night comes after the approval of a state budget last week. Schools officials had planned for a shortfall of more than $34 million. They now believe it will be closer to $22 million, which meant returning some money cut from schools.

The money will be distributed among schools based on projected student enrollment.

Principals will use that money to buy supplies and even hire teachers. Several hundred teaching positions were cut because school budgets were slashed in preparation of the state budget shortfall.

“We’re certainly all excited about the possibility of getting some money back,” said Southeast High principal Charles Blanchard.

Blanchard’s school is to receive nearly $92,000. Blanchard said he will meet with parents and staff to determine where the greatest need is. He noted technology is a major need at the school.

But his school also lost three teachers and a counselor.

“Of course, we’d love to have any of those back,” he said.

Guilford Middle principal Cynthia Kremer has been an educator for more than 30 years. She said this year’s budget planning was the hardest she’s been through. She lost two teachers and worries about how that might affect her lowest performing students. To offset that, she wants to use her allocation, a little over $61,000, to hire tutors.

“It was a challenge to make sure I could provide enough support to my struggling learners,” she said.

There was debate among board members Tuesday night about how to spend the money. Board member Deena Hayes proposed using some of the funding to restore the Home Field Advantage Program. That program pays to bus students at 11 schools who otherwise would have been forced to leave because of homelessness. The program’s goal is to provide stability for students.

“I think we made a very rash decision because we had to,” Hayes said about originally cutting back the program.

The board agreed, reinstating about $417,000 to fund the program.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com