ABSS faces cuts as county budget falls short by $4 million

Alamance-Burlington schools entered the final stretch of budget season with a county proposal $4 million below what the district asked for, putting teacher supplements, maintenance work and long-delayed repairs at risk before the 2026-27 year starts July 1.

County Manager Heidi York proposed $58.7 million for ABSS current expenses, while the school board requested $62.8 million. Superintendent Aaron Fleming told the board the district still needs about $2.4 million more in local funding just to break even, and York’s plan falls about $900,000 short of that mark. The proposed current-expense amount is still 2.7 percent above this year’s level, but district leaders said the increase does not cover rising operating costs and expected state teacher raises.

Fleming also said ABSS would need another $2 million to keep the existing county-funded supplement for teachers and administrators if state salary increases move ahead. That makes the county gap more than a bookkeeping problem: it threatens the pay structure the district uses to recruit and retain employees in a tight Piedmont-Triad labor market.

The squeeze reaches into daily school operations. Fleming said some gyms still are not air-conditioned, some schools still lack enough security cameras, and roof and HVAC work continue to drain money and attention. Under York’s proposal, the district’s $7 million routine maintenance request would be about $2.2 million short, and its $18.3 million capital improvement request would fall to $9.4 million. ABSS said the proposed current-expense funding would cover the existing teacher supplement and the county-share obligation for charter schools, but little else.

The district’s March request was larger still: $88.1 million in county funding, including $25.3 million for capital needs tied to HVAC, roof repairs, security, technology and design and land purchases for a possible new elementary school as growth continues around Mebane. County leaders are set to hear public comment at a June 2 budget hearing, then meet with the ABSS board on June 9 for a work session.

The latest shortfall follows years of financial strain. In June 2025, commissioners restored $10 million to ABSS operating funds and added $1.3 million from a tax increase after a fight over shifting money toward major projects. In 2024, the district cut nearly 70 vacant positions to avoid layoffs. In November 2023, district leaders said they had only about $102,000 in savings.