ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — The Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) said it is reaching a tipping point in its budget crisis and is now on a hiring freeze for non-teaching positions.
The district is now making an urgent plea for taxpayers to demand greater investment in public education.
The announcement comes after the district spent a significant amount of money to fix mold issues at 17 schools in the county.
ABSS said the total cost to fully fix mold issues across all facilities is more than $25 million. That amount does not include additional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, roof repairs, and structural issues.
An ABSS representative said Superintendent Dr. Dain Butler already cut $7 million from the budget earlier this year and is now resorting to the hiring freeze. The school district said it only has $102,000 left in the savings account to cover any emergencies they have this year.
Several schools are also dealing with heating issues on Wednesday. ABSS officials said many of the boilers at the schools need repairs or replacement.
The superintendent and other school leaders are holding a meeting Thursday afternoon to talk about the budget before a commissioners' meeting on Monday.
At 1 p.m. on Thursday, district leaders will hold a press conference to share more information about the hiring freeze. We will stream the briefing on our website, YouTube page, and WFMY+ - available on Roku and Fire TV.
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