The three school systems in Catawba County have rehired many of the teachers who were cut earlier this year because of uncertainty over the amount of money coming from the state budget.
North Carolina schools got more money than expected. Part of the thanks can go to Gov. Bev Perdue who opposed any budget reductions in school funding. Part of the good news can be ascribed to legislators who sided with the schools and education.
Local school officials, faced with significantly depleted state funding, were forced to make deep cuts in staff and faculty. They had to prepare for the worst.
Because of the tenuous money situation, some excellent teachers were lost. They've since found new jobs and are no longer available.
And, not everyone who was cut could be rehired. The schools still aren't getting the money necessary to fund faculty and staff at customary levels.
We presume all of the teachers and staff members who were let go are qualified for their former jobs. We hope education's loss is another professional area's gain.
While we appreciate the ability of our school systems to rehire many of the people who lost their jobs, we cannot condone the conditions under which school officials were forced to act.
The state budget should have been ratified on time. It was weeks past due. Estimates of education cuts were grossly overblown. We think the General Assembly and its considerable staff could have done a better job of preparation.
Education is a top priority for North Carolinians. We have state-mandated — and locally endorsed — student-teacher ratios, curricula and other standards. They were jeopardized because of the dithering on the state budget.
We cannot let this issue rest. Another biennial budget will be crafted in two years. Next summer's short legislative session could see some budget adjustments. Whether the news will be good or bad is speculative.
If the economy and shape of the state treasury are such that budget cuts are inevitable, assessment of the situation must be more accurate and the resulting spending plan be finalized on time.
Education wasn't the only area affected by less money and the late budget. Many agencies were left up in the air for too long with too few facts.
We're glad many of our teachers are getting their jobs back. We don't want to see these circumstances reappear in two years.
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