"Although Wake County's economy is in a better position than most, our state and county government still expect a serious shortfall in revenue," said Superintendent Del Burns. "We are positioning WCPSS for anticipated decreases in revenue based on trends in the economy. These are uncertain times for families, businesses and WCPSS employees alike, but together we can work through them."
Positions left vacant as of Feb. 6 will remain unfilled unless they are considered "mission critical."
The school systems will make exceptions for teacher vacancies, but principals will have to fill those positions on a temporary basis.
The Wake County Board of Education previously reduced the school system's budget by $11.2 million on December 2, 2008, due to a directive from the state and a request from county government.
"Past actions by the school board and our leadership team have helped minimize the impact to our classrooms to this point, although we now have less flexibility," Chief Business Officer David Neter said. "We will continue to manage the economic uncertainty in a thoughtful, methodical and deliberate manner with a focus on our students, as well as the WCPSS employees who serve them and our schools."