Forsyth County schools propose smallest budget increase, topping $761 million

Forsyth County Schools is asking for its smallest budget increase to date, yet the district still wants next year’s plan to top $761 million as it weighs staffing, student services and the cost of digging out from a painful financial setback.

The request comes as Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools continues working through a budget crisis that included a reported $42 million shortfall. District materials say the system estimates it owes the state between $13 million and $15 million for overspending state dollars, and interest on that debt would start accruing at 1 percent. In August, district leaders said they could still need as many as 350 additional position cuts to balance the current year budget.

County funding remains central to that equation. Forsyth County’s adopted FY2026 budget added $6.7 million in recurring money for WS/FCS, a 3.9 percent increase over FY2025 recurring funding. County budget documents say roughly 55 percent of the county’s support for WS/FCS is required by state statute, while about 45 percent is additional local investment. Education is still the county’s largest spending category, and county budget documents say most education dollars go to the public schools system.

The district spent two April budget workshops clarifying priorities before making its request to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. That work came against a backdrop of projected enrollment declines of about 1,500 students, a drop that county budget reporting says did not lead to school funding cuts. Instead, the county’s budget process has remained tied to a formula that uses property-tax growth to provide what officials describe as predictable and sustainable funding.

Forsyth County Manager Shontell Robinson presented a $599 million recommended county budget on May 7, saying it maintained services, invested in education and protected financial stability even as revenues declined. Public reaction to county budget proposals has been intense, including a hearing that ran more than five hours. County officials have defended the plan as difficult but necessary, while the school district prepares to make its case for more money in a system still facing rising costs and uncertain enrollment.