Wake County Families Raise Funding, Special Education Concerns at Schools Summit

Shakema McClean came to Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School on Saturday looking for help. As the parent of a special education student, she described her daily reality in terms that stopped the room: "I'm killing myself trying to make sure I can find resources for him."

McClean was one of many families who turned out for the second day of Wake County Public School System's Family and Community Engagement Summit, a two-day event paired with Superintendent Robert Taylor's annual State of the Schools address. While day one drew educators to the Raleigh campus, Saturday's session was built around families, with breakout sessions, keynote speakers and resource booths covering reading, health and technology. But the backdrop of proposed special education cuts made it impossible to keep the conversation confined to programming.

Taylor had confirmed to reporters on Friday, before delivering his State of the Schools address, that the district is targeting $18 million in reductions to its special education budget and is looking to eliminate 130 cross-categorical resource teaching positions. CCR teachers monitor the academic progress and behavior of students with disabilities. The district is also proposing to eliminate the cross-categorical kindergarten program, which helps determine whether students with disabilities can transition into general education classrooms, and to phase out the Middle School Essentials program, which provides small-group math and language arts instruction for special education students.

Taylor framed the cuts as a fiscal necessity rather than a choice. "We're not in a deficit now, but if we do the exact same thing next year, that causes us to be a deficit," he said Friday. He told reporters that some special education teachers may have to serve more students, but maintained that all students would receive needed services and no regional program would be affected.

The numbers underlying the district's request to Wake County tell part of the story. Taylor said he plans to ask the Wake County Board of Commissioners for a $25 million funding increase this budget cycle, roughly half the average $49.7 million annual increase the district has received from the county over the past four years, citing limited available county revenue.

That announcement landed hard with educators before families even arrived for Saturday's summit. On Thursday, the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators organized protests at schools across the county. Wake NCAE has called on Taylor to drop the proposed cuts entirely and to seek additional special education funding from the Board of Commissioners rather than scale back the ask.

McClean articulated what the cuts would mean in practice for families like hers. "If those educators and those professionals and special folks are pulled from the school, that puts more burden on the parent, that puts more burden on the school system, and the children react to this because they see this," she said.

Parent Divya Vutukuru raised a separate but connected concern, calling on the district to expand instruction in artificial intelligence. "It's very uncertain right now for the kids who are graduating out of school and what will be their future," Vutukuru said.

The school board now faces the decision of whether to keep the proposed special education reductions in the final budget. A board member identified only as Swanson issued a statement acknowledging the pressure. "I share the public's concern and the urgency to address this issue directly," Swanson said. "I hope that through this meeting, we will begin to provide clarity, answer questions and take meaningful steps toward restoring trust with our community. We owe our students and families nothing less."

The final budget decision rests with the board, and community pressure from both parents and educators is expected to continue through the process.