Preserving Our Public Education Heritage

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A copy of a slide show presented by John DeVille at the September 2015 meeting of the Macon County Commissioners in Franklin, NC.

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Preserving Our Public
Education Heritage
Macon County Commissioners
September 8th, 2015

70
days
past
due

Problems and points of crisis
• Overall cuts to public education leading to:
• Larger class sizes
• Less one-on-one attention, especially K-3, with increased
testing burden
• Textbook and materials shortages
• Reduction of bench for future administrators
• Elimination of public funding for Driver’s Education
• Elimination of teacher and state employee retirement and
health benefit program.

Infusion of stimulus
dollars
Stimulus depleted but no return to pre-recession levels

• Philip Price, the NC Department of Public Instruction’s chief financial
officer, says while there has been an increase in overall spending on
public education in recent years, most of those funds haven’t gone into
the classroom.
• “The retirement contribution rate doubled over the past several years
under the current leadership,” said Price. “State Health Plan
contributions went up to, so the vast majority of the increases in
spending aren’t being seen by students.”
• According to Price’s numbers, since 2008 there are 2,400+ fewer
teachers in the classroom, a 22 percent reduction to the number of TAs
in elementary schools, a 52 percent reduction in classroom supplies….

• $5,897 Per pupil state funding in 2008.
• $5,183 Per pupil state funding in 2013 adjusted for
inflation.
• -14.5% the inflation-adjusted percentage decrease in
general funding per K-12 student in North Carolina since
2008



http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/02/21/4571108/failing-to-invest-in-nc-children.html#storylink=cpy 2/21

• There are fewer adults in North Carolina's public schools than
there were seven years ago, yet we have 43,000 more
students.
• The amount of textbook funding per student has gone from
$68 per student in 2008-09 to about $15 per student in 201415. That is a 78% reduction. 
• Dollars for instructional supplies have been reduced from $59
per student in 2008-09 to about $28 per student in 2014-15

• http://www.ncpublicschools.org/budget/

Reductions from 2008-09 to 201415
43,000 more students BUT……
• Classroom Teachers: down 2,471 positions or -3.5%
• Teacher Assistants : -22.9% (Lost 7,150 TA positions 2013-14 and 2014-15 )
• Central Office Personnel : -22%
• Support Personnel: -8.8%
• Assistant Principals: -18.9%

NCDPI- 9/26/14
Funding North Carolina’s Public Schools
Changes Since FY 2008-09
NCDPI- Feb. 2014: Highlights of the NC Public School
Budget Information Analysis
WUNC REEMA KHRAIS, NOV. 21, 2014

The Double Impact of Economic
Downturns on Public Education
• It hits personnel pay in the form of freezes and benefit
cuts.
• Creates reductions in essential classroom personnel.
• Reductions in textbooks and classroom supplies,
• Cutbacks in programs and course offerings
• Increased class sizes.
• AND it has a tremendous impact on the children we
serve as more of them fall below the poverty line,
putting more stress on them and their families.

Poverty in NC in 2006

Poverty in NC in 2007

Poverty in NC in 2008

Poverty in NC in 2009

Poverty in NC in 2010

Poverty in NC in 2011

Poverty in NC in 2012

Poverty in NC in 2013

http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/08/watch-poverty-in-school-districts-escalate-before-your-veryeyes/402138/#disqus_thread

Total Macon County
Student Population 2013
Poverty rate 2006
Poverty rate 2007
Poverty rate 2008
Poverty rate 2009
Poverty rate 2010
Poverty rate 2011
Poverty rate 2012
Poverty rate 2013

4736
19.3%
20.8%
20.9%
26.2%
26.9%
27.7%
31.1%
27.9%

Close to one third of the children in Macon County
Schools are below the poverty line. Taking 2013
rates, 1,321 children.

And as more students and their families are
falling below the poverty line, what are we doing?

• Cutting textbooks
• Cutting teacher assistants
• Cutting classroom supplies
• Ending Drivers’ Education
• Creating more stress on classroom teachers
with those cuts
• Cutting programs (art, drama, foreign
language)

Cuts to textbooks = hard for
learning to continue and be
augmented at home

• In 2014-15, textbooks are funded at $24 million, or
roughly one-fifth of the 2009-10 budget of $116 million.
• This amounts to less than $20 per student; a textbook
typically costs $35-85.

Public Schools First NC: Impact of the 2013-15

Current textbook budget differences
• The Senate proposed $29 M additional.
• The House budget proposed $48.3 million additional
(this is where it landed in the budget; the original NCAE
initiated legislation with Rep Craig Horn (R) $76 million) 
•  Governor’s proposed budget was $35 million additional.

Huge cuts to classroom supplies
• And as for classroom materials and instructional
supplies, state funding has been cut by nearly 47
percent since FY 2009-10, down from $90.7 million
when adjusted for inflation to around $50 million for the
current school year.

Cuts to teacher assistants…the vital second pair of
hands, eyes, and an essential second instructor in the
classroom

• 22,441 state-funded teacher assistants in 2008
• 15,364 state-funded teacher assistants in 2015
• Senate budget would reduce the 15,364 by
approximately ANOTHER 8,500 positions….the
largest layoff in state history.
• "We have a state that is dismantling our public school
system. This state is going in the wrong direction when
it comes to public education."- Paul Bailey, Republican
School Board Member, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
---August 2015

$26 million cut from Driver’s Ed
• $238.04 per 9th grade student 2009-2010
• $191 per 9th grade student 2013-2014
• Beginning July 2015: $0
• The real cost to put a student through driver's
education is between $300 and $400. If funding
isn't restored, the cost could fall on to school
systems and parents.
• In order for our school system to provide this
service next year from "funds available" Macon
County will need to move $75,000 in funding

• Programs that grant privileges to new drivers in phases — known
as graduated licensing programs — dramatically reduce the rate
of teen driver fatal crashes, according to three studies funded by
the National Institutes of Health.
• Such graduated licensing laws were adopted by all 50 states and
the District of Columbia between 1996 and 2011. The NIHsupported research effort shows that such programs reduced the
rate of fatal crashes among 16- 17-year-olds by 8 to 14 percent.
• Reductions in fatal crashes were greatest in states that had
enacted other restrictions on young drivers. The greatest
reductions in young driver crashes were seen in states that had
adopted graduated driver licensing laws in combination with
mandatory seat belt laws or laws requiring a loss of the driver’s
license as a penalty for possession or use of alcohol by youth
aged 20 or younger.
• http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2011/nichd-04.htm

Cutting Driver’s Ed is a de facto tax on ALL North
Carolinians….not the kind of trickle down we want.
• Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin on Tuesday urged the North Carolina Senate and
House of Representatives to preserve funding for driver’s education as part of the budget. The
North Carolina General Assembly has not reached a final budget and whether to fund driver
education is part of the debate.
• “If you have inexperienced drivers who do not have appropriate driver’s education on our
highways, you could see it trickle down to where everyone has their rates impacted — and
that’s not good,” Goodwin told WNCN.
• Car insurance rates in North Carolina are based on the claims that go to the insurance
companies, the Department of Insurance said. If insurance companies pay out more claims
over time, rates could increase for all drivers.
• Goodwin insisted that the matter of driver education is one that impacts all drivers, not just
those with children.
• “You may not have children yet, but others do and they’re going to be on the road.  If they’re
inexperienced and do not have appropriate education and know how to drive safely, then it
could impact you—you could be in an accident with them and someone could get hurt or
killed,” he said.
• http://wncn.com/2015/09/01/nc-car-insurance-rates-could-rise-if-driver-ed-funding-cut/

NC Senate Budget Ends Pension and Health Benefits for
teachers and state employees hired after Jan 1, 2016 .
• Ashe County School Superintendent Dr. Todd Holden voiced his concerns
about the proposed elimination of retirement health benefits and future
teacher recruitment potential at the Ashe County School board meeting on
Monday, Aug. 3
• “What I see as a threat for our district is teacher retention and recruitment,”
Holden said.
• After a recent visit to Appalachian State University’s Reich College of
Education, Holden found that many students may not plan to stay in North
Carolina to work as teachers if the provision passes.
• Holden said he asked ASU students in the Education field how many would
stay and work as teachers in North Carolina if retirement benefits are
eliminated. According to Holden, Only 20 percent of those students raised
their hands.
• http://jeffersonpost.com/news/867/retiree-health-benefits-threatened-by-senate-budget

And, in the history of pension and retirement systems,
what happens when no new monies enter the system?

Increasing pressure on county
wallets…

From the North Carolina Constitution (1971)
ARTICLE IX -- EDUCATION
•Section 1.  Education encouraged.

•Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and
the happiness of mankind, schools, libraries, and the means of education
shall forever be encouraged.
•Sec. 2.  Uniform system of schools.

•(1) General and uniform system: term.  The General Assembly shall provide
by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public
schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and
wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.
•(2)Local responsibility.  The General Assembly may assign to units of local
government such responsibility for the financial support of the free public
schools as it may deem appropriate.  The governing boards of units of local
government with financial responsibility for public education may use local
revenues to add to or supplement any public school or post-secondary school
program.

We have a $450 million surplus….

....but the Senate is choosing to go in the wrong
direction if they truly support public education
NC House Budget

NC Senate Budget

Keeps 8,500 Teacher Assistants

Cuts 8,500 Teacher Assistants
over the next two years
Funds textbooks at $48.3 million Funds textbooks at $29 million
Keeps Drivers’ Education
Eliminates Drivers’ Education
Funding
Funding
Keeps Teacher & State Employee Eliminates Teacher & State
Pensions and Health Benefits
Employee Pensions and Health
Benefits
Appears to oppose TABOR

Passed TABOR, which threatens

• In 2012-13, North Carolina counties spent,
on average, $1,462 per student, ranging
from a high of $4,145 in Orange County to
a low of $384 in Swain County.
• Macon spent $1660 per student 2012-2013
(nearly 20% increase from 2008 to 2012)

Pushing the public education burden
onto the counties…
• Sen. Goolsby (R-9th District) recently took issue with claims like that,
pointing out that the average teacher in North Carolina makes close
to $46,000 a year with benefits pushing that total closer to $60,000.
• “North Carolina, as far as state government goes, is No. 11 In the
country as far as funding,” Goolsby said. “Where North Carolina falls
down is on local funding for education, but you never hear that from
the ‘educrats’ and the (North Carolina Association of Educators).”
• --Aug 23, 2013
• Email to commissioners at that time asking for resolution
• http://www.wwaytv3.com/2013/08/23/goolsby-local-government-not-state-to-blame-for-low-education-spending/

Cavalier attitude
• {Senator} Apodaca defended the additional
extension. "I'm happy to stand here today and tell
you that, in the last 48 hours, we've had more
movement than we've had in the last six months."
• "I'm sorry that Wake County is having problems with
TAs and driver's education," he sniped at {Senator}
Blue. "I guess $80 million in the bank doesn't go
quite as far as it used to.“ – August 26, 2015
• http://www.wral.com/tempers-shorten-as-budget-deadline-lengthens/14857726/

Cuts to School Administrator Academies
& Professional Development
• The House has $3.9 million in its budget to pay for one-year’s cost of
three regional academies that develop new school administrators.
• Rep. Craig Horn, a Weddington Republican and an education budget
writer, said his take is that the Senate believes in professional
development, but wants to make sure the costs are justified.
• “We have an obligation to do that,” Horn said. “We’re happy to meet
that challenge.”
• Sen. Jerry Tillman, an Archdale Republican and education budget
writer in his chamber, said he likes the academies for principal
preparation, but thinks teacher professional development should be
the local districts’ responsibility.
• News & Observer JULY 5, 2015

NC Senate gutted HB 117
• The Senate amended House Budget Bill (HB 117) on
Thursday to remove the House budget provisions and include
their issues.
• New sales tax on services: To help pay for new income tax
cuts, the bill would broaden the sales tax base. Among the
purchases facing sales taxes: Advertising, veterinary and pet
care services, and repairs and maintenance work on personal
property such as cars. 
 

Glue stick tax
• No more NC tax holiday first weekend
in August.
• Increased expense on part of parents
and teachers for classroom supplies.
• Teachers can’t deduct classroom
supplies any more.

NC Senate attempts to use the
lottery to backfill. For the first time
the Senate Budget

• will allow lottery ticket sales in liquor stores
• will allow internet-based instant lottery games that can
be played on computers or smart phones 
• will allow Club Keno, a numbers game that would be
will available through terminals at bars and
restaurants 
• Senate budget will increase lottery advertising from 20
million a year to 30 million with a goal of generating an
extra 155 million.

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
• With too few dollars available to meet the needs of
students due to the 2013 tax plan, new spending
initiatives—such as the pay raises for teachers and
other school personnel— came at the expense of
needed increases in investments in other areas.
• Lawmakers provided $41.9 million to reduce
kindergarten and first grade class sizes, which they
just increased last year. However, to cover that
added cost, lawmakers diverted lottery dollars that
were supposed to go to increase technology in
public schools and provide need-based financial aid
to students attending public universities. Now,

http://www.ncjustice.org/sites/default/files/BTC%20REPORTS%20-%20FINAL%20Budge

Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR)
• “Constitutional amendments adding the Taxpayer
Protection Act to the North Carolina Constitution
that would limit the growth of State spending to
inflation plus population growth, establish and
require yearly deposits in an Emergency Savings
Reserve Fund in the State Treasury, and reduce
the maximum allowable income tax rate
in North Carolina from ten percent (10%) to five
percent (5%).”

TABOR’s Impact on NC Public
Education
• Depending on whose numbers you look at,
TABOR is projected to cost another $1.5 to
$2.0 BILLION in lost revenue.
• Assuming public education is approximately
57% of the budget that’s an additional cut
of $855 million to $1.14 BILLION.
• Even John Locke Foundation opposes.

How did it go in Colorado?
• Colorado fell from 35th to 49th in the
nation in K-12 spending as a percentage of
personal income.
• College and university funding as a share of
personal income declined from 35th in the
nation to 48th.
• The share of low-income children in the
state who lacked health insurance doubled,
making Colorado the worst in the nation by

 ”At present, a family of four with only one parent
working and earning $30,000 is not hit too hard with
taxes. Sales taxes are generally low and the income tax
on that income is not too high. But if sales taxes become
the main generator of revenue, then that family will be
paying higher taxes on doctor visits, diapers, formula,
clothing. And for those families who use day care, the
switch could be devastating. Families with two children in
day care now often pay between $1,400 to $2,000 a
month for quality day care. Add an 8 percent sales tax to
those services and parents could pay additional state

Loss of Local Control in General
What will county or municipal government look like in
five years?
• Redistricted Wake County Commission, Buncombe County
Commission and Greensboro City Council districts
• Went after Asheville’s water authority
• Went after the Charlotte & Asheville airport authority
• Capped what local government could charge for business licenses
• Pushing more items which are traditionally funded at state level
onto counties.
• No local control over our monuments and statues
• Proposed consolidation of school districts.
• Proposed redistribution of sales tax revenue.

NC Senate’s New Sales Tax Scheme
projected to cost Macon County approximately
$750,000
• “Plan would flip local sales tax revenue from a mostly point-of-sale
endeavor into a purely even split, where half the money would stay at its
collection point and the rest would be disbursed according to county
population.”
• House Finance chairman and Lincolnton Republican Jason Saine took
strong exception:
• “I’m really surprised that senators have gone along with this,” Saine said.
“They tend to want to brand themselves as more conservative than the
House members. But clearly on this issue of tax policy, which I think is the
bedrock of Republican philosophy, the House sits strong in opposing
redistribution of wealth. There’s no other way to say it but that way. It
looks more like socialism than capitalism and free markets.” – Aug 14,
2015
• http://www.lincolntimesnews.com/2015/08/14/taxpayer-bill-of-rights-might-not-make-it-into-law-yet/

Solutions?
1. Allow quality of public education in Macon County to
decline.
2. Make up difference at state level
3. Make up difference at local/county level
4. Combination of 2 & 3.

Macon blazes the
trail.
Dr. John McCampbell
Lyle
Elizabeth Kelly

Protecting Our County & State Public Education
Heritage and Serving the Current Generation

Resolution
• WHEREAS, the Macon County Board of Commissioners
believes that teachers assistants are vital to the success
of early elementary students and this Board has gone to
great financial lengths in the past to maintain teacher
assistants in the classroom as close as possible to 2007
– 2008 levels given local budgetary constraints. We
oppose the elimination of approximately 8,500 teacher
assistants over the next two years as called for in FY
2015 – 2016 NC SENATE BUDGET.

• AND WHEREAS, Macon County Board of Commissioners
believes that the currently funded driver’s education
classes are a worthwhile investment for not only North
Carolina’s youngest drivers but for all drivers on North
Carolina highways and that the that the current
situation of a mandated driver’s education program
WITHOUT state funding constitutes an undue burden on
this and all North Carolina counties as an unfunded
mandate. State funding for the driver’s education
program, which has historically been the case, should
continue as passed by the FY 2015 – 2016 NC HOUSE
BUDGET.

• AND WHEREAS, classroom textbooks are a vital,
essential tool to classroom instruction, and recognizing
that between $200 and $400 million was cut from the
textbook budget from FY 2010 – 2012 to 2014 – 15
compared to previous funding levels, we support the
original FY 2015 – 2016 NC HOUSE BUDGET for
textbooks which is $48.3 million.

• AND WHEREAS our capacity as a state and a county to
attract and retain quality personnel is linked to
preservation of a retirement program for public school
teachers and state employees in general, AND noting
that we are mindful that pension and other retirement
programs cease to stand on sound financial ground
when new monies are to the system are shut off, we ask
the NC HOUSE to hold its position of maintaining the
retirement and health benefit schedule as it currently
stands and as the NC HOUSE holds harmless in its FY
2015 – 2016 budget.

• AND WHEREAS the North Carolina Constitution adopted in 1971 clearly
states in:
• ARTICLE IX
• Section 1.  Education encouraged.
• Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and
the happiness of mankind, schools, libraries, and the means of education
shall forever be encouraged.
• Sec. 2.  Uniform system of schools.
• (1) General and uniform system: term.  The General Assembly shall provide
by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public
schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and
wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.
• (2) Local responsibility.  The General Assembly may assign to units of local
government such responsibility for the financial support of the free public
schools as it may deem appropriate.  The governing boards of units of local
government with financial responsibility for public education may use local
revenues to add to or supplement any public school or post-secondary
school program.

• It is the considered opinion of the Macon County
Commissioners that the FY 2015 – 2016 NC HOUSE
BUDGET K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPENDITURES are
closer to the spirit and the letter of the aforementioned
sections of Article IX of the North Carolina Constitution
in that the FY 2015 – 2016 NC HOUSE BUDGET, is
covering more of the costs associated with essential
classroom personnel, textbooks, classroom supplies,
drivers’ education, and pension and health benefits for
retirees rather than cutting or elimination of these same
line items as called for in the NC SENATE BUDGET

• NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Macon
County Board of Commissioners supports the K-12
PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPENDITURES AS LISTED IN THE FY
2015 – 2016 NC HOUSE BUDGET AND ADOPTED May 22,
2015 by a bipartisan vote of 93 – 23 and urges the NC
HOUSE to stand firm in the ongoing budget negotiations
with the NC SENATE.

Approved and adopted this 8th day of September, 2015

Bob Scott
Mayor, Town of Franklin, NC
• Speaking personally, I would ask the Macon County
Commissioners to pass a resolution asking the North
Carolina General Assembly to either fund public education
at 2002-2008 levels or support the original 2015-2016
House Budget for education.
• My reasoning is that any monies expended for public
education is an investment in the future of the town,
county and the state.
• Public education is the foundation for an informed society.
• Thank you so much for your consideration of this  request,

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