Alamance-Burlington school board opens formal budget dispute with county

The Alamance-Burlington school board has opened a formal budget fight with Alamance County, saying the county’s spending plan does not provide enough money to support public schools in the year ahead. The unanimous vote on Tuesday pushes the dispute into a formal process that could lead to mediation, and it raises the stakes for classroom staffing, student services and building upkeep across the district.

Board members said the county budget left the system about $3 million short on the nearly $62 million it requested for operating expenses. The district also sought roughly $18 million for capital improvements and received about half that amount, a shortfall school leaders say could affect maintenance, roof work and HVAC projects in buildings serving Burlington, Graham and the rest of the county.

The board directed its chair, the superintendent and school board attorneys to arrange a meeting with county commissioners and a mediator. Kelly Allen, chair of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners, declined to comment because of pending legal action, signaling that the conflict is moving beyond a routine budget disagreement.

The latest clash fits a pattern Alamance County families have seen before. In June 2025, county commissioners approved the 2025-26 budget with a 2.5-cent property tax increase, and ABSS later reached a $4 million settlement after beginning the statutory dispute process. That settlement came only after public tension over how much county taxpayers should contribute to schools, and it showed that the dispute process can end in a negotiated increase rather than a long fight.

This year’s request is even larger. ABSS asked for $88.1 million in county funding for 2026-27, about $16.6 million more than the prior year’s county allocation, a jump of more than 23 percent. District officials warned in late May that the proposed county budget would leave ABSS starting the next fiscal year with a deficit unless local funding increased, a warning that now looks more urgent after the board’s formal vote.

For families, the consequences are practical. If the district wins more money, it could have more room to cover daily operating costs and keep up with growth. If it does not, the gap could shape staffing decisions, delay repairs and limit programming at a time when school leaders say the county’s needs are rising faster than local support. The new dispute suggests that, once again, Alamance County taxpayers will be at the center of a fight over how much they are willing to invest in public education.