Wake Schools' hiring freeze comes as district faces financial challenges
RADAR WHILE A CLOSER LOOK AT
THIS AS THEY CLOSE IN ON WAKE
COUNTY COMING UP. I CAN'T THANK
YOU. SO NEW TODAY, WRAL HAS
LEARNED WAKE SCHOOLS. IT'S
GOING TO PRESS PAUSE ON HIRING
FOR CERTAIN JOBS. THIS IS A
BIG DEVELOPMENT. SO WE WERE
ABLE TO GET OUR HANDS.
>> ON A LETTER FROM THE
DISTRICT AND IT SAYS THAT
ESSENTIALLY THIS IS AN EFFORT
TO SAVE MONEY AHEAD OF WHAT
THEY'RE CALLING A YEAR THAT
COULD HAVE SOME BUDGET
CHALLENGES NEXT YEAR. SO THIS
HIRING FREEZE WILL BE IN PLACE.
NOW, WE KNOW FOR 90 DAYS WRAL'S
CARLY HAYNES JOINING US NOW
WITH THE IMPACTS OF THIS COULD
POTENTIALLY HAVE ON THE STATE'S
LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT.
CARLOS.
AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
ANTICIPATES HIGHER COSTS DOWN
THE ROAD. THERE'S ALSO A LOT
OF UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW.
THEY SAY RELATED.
>> TO FEDERAL FUNDING. SO WHAT
THEY'RE DOING IS TAKING ACTION
RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES
TO HIRING 2 EXPENSES AND MORE
AHEAD OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET
DELIBERATIONS. SO FIRST, AS FAR
AS THAT HIRING FREEZE GOES,
THIS AFFECTS CENTRAL STAFF
POSITIONS. 90 DAYS AFTER THOSE
POSITIONS OPEN UP THE DISTRICT
IS ALSO PAUSING OUT OF STATE
TRAVEL AND LIMITING SPENDING TO
WHAT THEY CALL THEIR COURT
NEEDS. ONLY WAKE COUNTY SAID
THEY'RE TRYING TO SAVE UP MONEY
TO HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO
BALANCE THE FUTURE BUDGET.
THE DISTRICT WILL BE OPENING
FOR SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR. AND THAT
MEANS COST TOWARDS MORE
STUDENTS. STAFF TRANSPORTATION
AND
>> THAT'S A GREAT STEP FORWARD,
BUT IT'S AN EXPENSIVE STEP.
BUT THAT'S HOW WE'RE DEALING
WITH THE GROWTH IN WAKE COUNTY.
WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME
RISING COSTS THAT EVERYONE ELSE
IS. INFLATION IS DRIVING UP
THE COSTS FOR THINGS LIKE
ELECTRICITY, GAS, FOOD FOR OUR
STUDENTS, SUPPLIES FOR
TEACHERS.
>> NOW, AS FAR AS THAT HIRING
FREEZE GOES, CENTRAL STAFF
POSITIONS DO NOT INCLUDE ANYONE
WHO WORKS AT A PARTICULAR
SCHOOL FULL TIME. THE DISTRICT
ALSO SAID POSITIONS LIKE BUS
DRIVERS, SOME MAINTENANCE STAFF
AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS.
THEY ARE ALL EXEMPT FROM THIS