Latest news with #TriciaMcManus
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools letter outlines 2 proposals to deal with deficit
FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent sent a letter to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Thursday. It included two possible ways to pay off the $42 million budget deficit. The school district overspent by about 5.3%. It's a deficit that Forsyth County commissioners like Gloria Whisenhunt shared their frustrations about during a Thursday meeting. 'I've never seen anything this bad. I really have not, and I don't know how they can expect our property owners to solve their problems. They talked about how some of them aren't sleeping at night. Well, some of us aren't sleeping at night either,' Whisenhunt said. Of the $42 million the school district owes, according to a spokesperson, about $18 million is owed to the state, and there's $24 million in local funds that need to be repaid. The letter Tricia McManus sent to county leaders detailed two options on how they could get out of the financial hole. The first option would include a one-time payment of $32.1 million, which county leaders would have to give them. The funds would go towards the $42 million shortfall. If county commissioners deny the first option, the second includes setting aside $14.1 million out of the proposed $180 million the district is asking county leaders for the next fiscal year. A spokesperson for the school system said the $14.1 million would go towards the $24 million owed in local funds. When it comes to paying back the state, district leaders plan to negotiate a payment plan. When FOX8 asked how the school district plans to pay the remaining debt, a spokesperson said they're still figuring that out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Interim WS/FCS leader faces funding chasm
A member of the N.C. State Board of Education who has experience as a superintendent is stepping in to help lead the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools deal with a deficit that has exploded in recent weeks to nearly $80 million. Catty Quiroz Moore will serve as interim superintendent while the WS/FCS Board of Education works to hire a permanent replacement for Superintendent Tricia McManus, who will retire at the end of June, WS/FCS announced Tuesday night. Moore has spent more than three decades in North Carolina public schools. She currently serves as an at-large member of the State Board of Education and recently completed a term as interim superintendent of Durham Public Schools, where she provided critical leadership during a time of fiscal uncertainty, a WS/FCS press release said. From 2018 to 2023, Moore was the superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, the largest district in North Carolina. 'Fiscal uncertainty' barely begins to describe the problems facing WS/FCS, which have compounded alarmingly the past two months. What had been announced in March as an $8 million deficit facing the school district for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, now has become $42 million, according to a May 22 letter McManus sent the State Board of Education. The school board will entirely drain its unspent reserves and will still owe the state of North Carolina $18 million, the letter said. In addition, what had been in March a projected $16 million deficit in the fiscal year that begins July 1 has more than doubled. McManus told the school board Tuesday more than $23 million in cuts, which include a reduction of over 200 positions, has been identified for the 2025-26 fiscal year, but school officials are seeking another $13 million. Among cuts under consideration, McManus said: Eliminating transportation for elementary and middle school students attending choice, or magnet, schools would save the district $3.5 million; increasing class sizes by one student would save approximately $3.5 million; and increasing class sizes by two students would save about $6.6 million. Other possible measures include not completely covering employees' dental insurance, which the district currently does; eliminating out-of-state travel; eliminating staff cellphones; doing only black-and-white printing; and ending the waxing of school floors except for corridors. Two school board members, Robert Barr and Susan Miller, called for firing McManus and said that Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kranz should have been fired rather than allowed to resign on May 9. Barr said he often hears from local residents upset about the district's budget shortfalls. 'Our CFO was allowed to resign. In reality, he should not have been able to resign,' Barr said. 'He should be terminated.' Miller suggested firing McManus on the spot, but her motion violated the school board's rules of order, so it did not come to a vote. Board member Richard Watts called suggestion of firing McManus 'political grandstanding.' In a press conference after the meeting, board vice chair Alex Bohannon said firing McManus would be an overreaction. 'I think it can be very easy to look at ... the simple solution, which is, 'I need to find a single person to be able to blame for this, and then I need to hold them accountable and hold their feet to the fire,' and I understand that completely,' Bohannon said. 'I also would say that, like school system finance, the answer to that is really nuanced.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State auditor's office investigates Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools' finances
FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Financial distress is how the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction characterized Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools following the 2024 audit. FOX8 received a copy of the letter from State Auditor Dave Boliek that was sent to WS/FCS Superintendent Tricia McManus on April 21. The letter states that the state auditors' office will conduct an investigation of the school district's financial records. According to the audit of 2024, the district is short $16 million. The state auditors' office used strong language in the letter, stating that anyone with any knowledge of fraud should come forward. An investigation has been launched into the WS/FCS budget by the state of North Carolina. In the letter, Boliek informed McManus that the school system is being audited, and it is centered around the district's financial records and transactions, including payroll and use of federal grants. On May 1, the NCDoPI sent a letter to the district with a detailed breakdown showing the school system overspent by $16 million. Where did that money go? That's the question a newly hired financial firm is trying to answer for the district. The state is giving the school system until May 15 to get to the bottom of it. There's a lot on the line for the district. That May 1 letter says the district needs to make changes or face sanctions. North Carolina Board of Education Chairwoman Deanna Kaplan was copied on that letter. She declined to answer questions or provide an interview. She sent the following statement. We are deeply concerned about the issues raised by the State. We want the community to know that the Board is committed to adopting and maintaining a balanced budget. We take this responsibility seriously. Being in good financial standing is something we are all committed to achieving. We will develop a plan to submit to the State Board of Education that will address the financial concerns as well as outline steps to mitigate future budget issues. North Carolina Board of Education Chairwoman Deanna Kaplan Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Chairman Don Martin says he is hopeful the school system can figure it out. 'Because never has the county had to bail out a school district in any situation, and I'm really hoping that's not going to happen in any way this time,' Martin said. Martin said that he doesn't think this will impact the county receiving grants further down the road. 'Doubtful that would be a limitation. Essentially, the district is a large organization that is stable aside from this one little blip at this point. I think that could be corrected and would not inhibit a federal reward in any kind of way,' Martin said. The school system said in an email that they are working with a financial firm to come up with a plan. Martin said he has been invited to sit in on the meeting next week to get a plan underway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Superintendent, Cash educator win honors
The retiring superintendent of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has been named superintendent of the year by an educators' union, and an employee of Cash Elementary School is one of the recipients of the 2025 Core Awards for exceptional educators in WS/FCS, officials announced Wednesday night. Tricia McManus, who announced last week that she decided after the recent birth of her first grandchild to retire on June 30, was chosen the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Educators, WS/FCS Board of Education chair Deanna Kaplan said at the school district's Core Awards ceremony in the historic R.J. Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem. Jessica Schaefer, media coordinator at Cash Elementary, won the Core Award for Certified Instructional Support Personnel of the Year. McManus was chosen for her commitment to open dialogue, collaboration and genuine partnership with teachers, said Jenny Easter, the president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators. "Having a superintendent who actively listens and values educators' voices makes a meaningful difference for our schools, students, and our community,' Easter said. The winners of the other Core Awards were: • Robert Ash, Speas Elementary School, Principal of the Year • Jamille Rhodes, Konnoak Middle School, Assistant Principal of the Year • Cristofer Wiley, R.J. Reynolds High School, Teacher of the Year • Chasity Jones, Central Office Legal Department, Classified Employee of the Year • Heather Hosey, R.J. Reynolds High School, Judy Mountjoy Volunteer of the Year Each winner was given an award designed by WS/FCS Art Teacher Sydney Hinkle and a $500 check. There were almost 350 nominees. After extensive interviews, essays, letters of recommendation from parents and co-workers and observations, five finalists in each of the six categories were chosen.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WS/FCS superintendent will retire
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus announced Tuesday night that she will retire on June 30. McManus said retiring will allow her to focus on her growing family. Her first grandchild was born last summer. McManus first joined WS/FCS as deputy superintendent in June 2020 and was appointed interim superintendent that November following Angela Hairston's resignation. McManus has served as superintendent since February 2021. Deanna Kaplan, chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, called McManus 'a relentless advocate for our schools.' 'She will leave our district stronger. We will miss her positive attitude. She is an all-in superintendent. There are no words to express our gratitude. We are excited for her as she moves on to this new chapter in her life,' she said. During her time at WS/FCS, McManus oversaw the district's return to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, the district adopted a series of 'Future Ready' initiatives, with a focus on enhancing inclusion, a sense of belonging and deeper learning. McManus said she is proud of what the district has accomplished in the past five years, including improved proficiency in math and reading, a record graduation rate, and increases in the number of students of color taking Advanced Placement courses and taking three or more Career Technical Education credentials. Under her tenure, the district increased the number of students taking dual enrollment courses at Forsyth Tech by 68%. She also celebrated reductions in chronic absenteeism, the expansion of mental health resources available to students, and the introduction of an alternative to suspension program that led to 73% of participating students having no further discipline referrals upon returning to school. 'We have built the foundation for educational equity and excellence, and I wish nothing but the best for the future of WS/FCS. Our students are capable of so much,' McManus said. 'Please continue pouring into them every day and do not allow the many distractions to get in the way of doing what is right. No student should fall through the cracks.' On April 28, the Board of Education will hold a meeting to discuss plans for an interim superintendent. McManus will continue to work with the board through the transition period.
