Forsyth schools to get stimulus money in April

Posting for Keith T. Barber...

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will have more time to spend $23 million in economic stimulus package funds it expects to receive in April. Kerry Crutchfield, the school system’s finance director, said state education officials confirmed the school system will have two and a half years to disburse the funds to high-poverty schools and programs for disabled students. The school system originally thought it would have only six months, Crutchfield said. Currently, state and federal officials are working together to hammer out the spending guidelines for the $23 million. The school system hopes to include the funds in its 2009-2010 fiscal year budget. The news of the stimulus money offers some positive news for the school system. In December, school officials were told they had to return $2.1 million in state funds as the state legislature faced a massive budget shortfall. Then, the Forsyth County Commissioners asked the schools to identify $1.1 million in possible budget cuts. The schools would only have to return the funds in the event of a fiscal emergency. The school system’s current budget of $460 million has increased to more than $500 million due in large part to new construction projects, Crutchfield said.