As the N.C. General Assembly continues its work to produce a balanced budget, public school districts across the state are continuing to tighten their belts in the face of fiscal unrest — and Iredell-Statesville Schools is no different.
With the possibility of laying off 70 teacher assistants, mandatory furlough days, larger class sizes and pay cuts already looming, I-SS officials have learned the district's 2009-10 transportation allocation from the state will be $400,000 less than it was this school year — a decrease of about 7.5 percent.
As a result, some things are going to be different in the fall.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has told I-SS to cut its bus mileage by more than 1,300 miles a day. The changes will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers.
One of the biggest adjustments will come in eastern Iredell, where the bell schedule will change from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. at Cool Spring Elementary.
And students who live within a mile of Statesville High, Statesville Middle and Troutman Middle will not be offered bus service.
It's important to remember the changes will affect everybody involved — from bus drivers to teachers to students and parents — and they're necessary.
Like any household struggling to pay the bills, it's time for the state and its school systems to batten down the hatches and make some serious sacrifices. These moves are a step in that direction.
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