Superintendent and finance director say layoffs are not planned as district faces enrollment decline

Superintendent Dr. Swan and finance director Keith Lawson told the Burke County Board of Education that the district has not discussed layoffs as part of its budget planning and that steps are being taken to avoid teacher layoffs.

Dr. Swan said the district is seeing an enrollment decline of about 300 students that will reduce revenue because state funding is paid in arrears. He described two separate funding impacts and contested media reports that presented the effects as a single, combined cut to the entire district budget. "There were no no discussions of layoffs," he said, and added that attrition and retirements will be the first strategies to manage reductions.

Lawson and Swan noted BCPS' current reported student–teacher ratio (about 1 to 14) and said an increase to 1 to 16 would still place the district at the state median. They also reported zero audit findings for the district and said planning emphasized "least disruptive options" for staffing.

Speakers cited statewide and national trends: a drop in North Carolina birth rates since 2007 and declines in ELL enrollment (reported as down about 7.4% year over year), which officials tied to broader demographic and immigration trends rather than local policy failure. The board acknowledged staff concerns after inaccurate media stories led some employees to fear layoffs.

Board members and staff clarified distinctions between operating and capital funds during later discussion: capital funds for construction cannot be used for staffing; statute bars transfers between capital and operating funds absent a genuine emergency.

What happens next: the board approved the year-end budget resolution and a follow-up amendment; staff will continue planning around attrition and other least-disruptive measures.