WCPSS Central Services: A Snapshot

Last week the Wake County School Board passed a $1.2 billion budget.  The budget included $20 million in funding cuts; a number which may still rise as high as $40 million, depending on the final budget numbers from the state and county.  The $20 million in cuts is from Central Services and includes 68 layoffs and the elimination of 57 vacant positions.

Since additional cuts may be likely, much of the discussion has focused on where those cuts might come from and how to make additional cuts while minimizing the impact on the classroom.  WCPSS officials have repeatedly stated any additional cuts – over and above the $20 million – would impact the classroom, because it is not possible for administration to absorb any additional cuts.

Central Services
According to the WCPSS budget documents, Central Services currently includes school-based personnel and non-school based personnel. School-based personnel are designated with budget codes of 800, while non-school based personnel are designated with 900 codes. A September 2009 spreadsheet of WCPSS employees lists 733 full-time employees whose title and salary are linked to budget codes in the 900s. According to the budget codes listed below, non-school based Central Services are comprised of thirteen different offices, departments or divisions. The largest non-school based Central Services divisions, by full-time personnel include: Auxiliary Services, Administrative Services, Instructional Services and Human Resources. Full-time non-school based Central Services employees are divided as follows.  

The previous tables detail the range of offices, number of employees and salary levels of individuals employed in non-school based Central Services offices.  Should additional budget reductions be necessary, such information should be carefully considered so as to minimize the projected impact of budget cuts inside the classroom.