The Bladen County Schools superintendent says the district should eliminate more than 25 positions next school year to cut costs.
The school board heard a report from Superintendent Jason Atkinson on April 13 that outlines a plan to save about $2.2 million. The cuts are necessary to make up for gaps in local funding, pay increased operating costs, and “maintain financial stability,” according to the report.
Atkinson’s recommendation does not include teachers. It calls for eliminating the following school-based and central office positions, some of which Atkinson said are currently vacant:
- 1 school principal
- 4 assistant principals
- 1 district administrator
- 3 guidance counselors
- 2 media specialists
- 3 academic coaches
- 1 social worker
- 1 payroll specialist
- 1 accounts payable specialist
- 1 administrative assistant
- 2 general maintenance workers
- 1 HVAC maintenance worker
- 4 custodians
- 1 receptionist
- 2 in-school suspension coordinators
- 1 parent liaison
Atkinson said the report is preliminary, and any job eliminations would have to be approved by the school board.
“It does not indicate that a reduction in force will occur,” Atkinson told the Border Belt Independent. “We are in the very early stages of that review, and no decisions have been made.”
School board members discussed the proposal for more than an hour during their April 13 meeting and agreed to consider job reductions.
School board member Anthony Thomas said future discussions will include which positions would be cut. He said any potential eliminations deserve careful attention, and he hopes to consider factors such as seniority and job performance.
Thomas questioned why more administrators weren’t on Atkinson’s proposed list.
“I’ve seen some other folks who are boots on the ground,” he said, “but I’ve not seen a list of possible senior administrators.”
Like many school districts across the state, Bladen County Schools is dealing with a decline in enrollment as more families choose charter, private, or home schools. The district currently serves about 3,600 students, compared to 4,600 a decade ago, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Bladen County Schools asked county commissioners for nearly $9.2 million this school year but got about $7.7 million, according to Atkinson’s report. Local funding has remained flat since 2023-24.
This school year, charter schools got about $1.6 million of the local funding, the report shows.
The school district could ask county commissioners for $11.3 million for 2026-27, according to a proposed budget.
Bladen County spent $2,112 per student during the 2023-24 school year, which was slightly below the statewide average, according to a report from the Public School Forum of North Carolina.
But the county lagged in supplementing employee salaries–a perk that can help attract qualified teachers to rural school districts, the organization’s report shows. Bladen County teachers got an average local pay boost of $1,901 in the 2023-24 school year, while the statewide average was $4,808.
Meanwhile, Atkinson said the district is dealing with increased expenses for personnel, including benefits. Costs to maintain facilities and provide transportation and support services have also gone up, he said.
The school board voted in March to close East Arcadia School, despite pushback from the community. Officials said the building needed $2 million in renovations, and the school had fewer than 60 students.