The following is a message from Superintendent Dr. Dain Butler to the ABSS Community:
Dear Community,
I wanted to take time today to share some good news regarding the ABSS budget. I acknowledge and apologize for the anxiety and worry that discussions around a potential reduction in force have caused both staff and the community over the past few months. Please know that a solution is in sight, and I plan to recommend a proposal to our Board of Education on Friday, February 23, at our 1 pm special called meeting.
This recommendation will allow employees to remain in their current positions for the rest of this school year. No job losses, months of employment, or salaries will be impacted with this new plan. All programs will currently remain in our school district, including Dual Language programs in grades K-8.
We want to thank our state legislators and county commissioners for working with us through this process. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to recoup some federal ESSER funds to sustain our local budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. This will put an estimated $4.6 million back in state and local funds, avoiding a reduction in force and sustaining us through June 30. In other words, everyone will remain employed and be fully paid.
To remain compliant with these federal funds, The Board of Education will need to vote on and approve the closure of the Alamance Virtual School at the end of this school year. This school was originally designed as a response to COVID-19 using ESSER funds, which meant it was intended to end when these funds expire in 2024. The current principal will be reassigned to an open principalship in the summer, and all virtual teachers will be assisted in being assigned to a school with a vacancy that matches their teaching license for next year. They will all be notified of this change if the Board supports this plan. This will allow all students and staff to remain at the Alamance Virtual School for the rest of this school year. A big thank you to our AVS principal and staff for a stellar job of virtually serving our students’ academic needs!
I am also recommending that ABSS return $250,000 back to the County fund balance. I will seek their approval on this as well. While we greatly appreciate the County Commissioners’ decision to provide us with this funding to get us through this fiscal year, these funds will no longer be needed.
To our ABSS staff, thank you again for your dedication to our students and your patience during this challenging time. Your hard work and commitment to providing a quality education are invaluable.
Also, thanks to our community for your understanding and patience as we worked through these recent budget challenges. Your support is vital and I am grateful for your partnership in ensuring a bright future for our students.
Sincerely,
Dain Butler, Ed.D.
Superintendent