Wake County builds upcoming budget while Trump takes steps to dismantle Department of Education

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Wake County is building the upcoming budget, and it comes at a time of uncertainty.

Last week, the Trump Administration took steps to dismantle the United States Department of Education.

The Wake County Public School System, which is the state's largest school district, gets roughly 10% of its money from the federal government.

The county's budget director Michelle Venditto said everyone is monitoring what's happening with federal funding. At this time, the county has not been asked by WCPSS to potentially help fill a gap.

"Right now, we have not been explicitly informed of any specific changes that would impact what our county budget is," she said, "but we're just kind of in a wait and see."

SEE ALSO | Wake County Public Schools on removing Dept. of Education: 'Sacrifices in the name of politics'

Leaders of the largest school district in the state say thousands of students will be impacted by the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

Governor Josh Stein told ABC11 that he was "gravely concerned" about federal funding, and it needed to continue flowing into the state.

There's a lot of fluidity right now, according to Venditto.

"It's strange. You try to be stable, be consistent and respond to what you're actually learning," she said. "That's why we're trying to be realistic in what we're hearing right now."

Wake County Manager David Ellis will be presenting his recommended 2025 budget with the Wake County Board of Commissioners on May 5.

Several educational sessions about the county's budget development process will be held this spring. Some will feature a formal presentation, budget activity and a Q&A period, while others will be more informal where residents can talk directly with budget experts at a table.

Session Dates

• North Regional Library: A presentation will be held on Monday, March 24, from 10-11 a.m.

• Eva Perry Regional Library: A presentation will be held on Thursday, March 27, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

• Oberlin Regional Library: A tabling event will be held on Wednesday, April 2, from 3-5 p.m.

• Southgate Community Library: A tabling event will be held on Monday, April 7, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Southeast Regional Library: A tabling event will be held on Tuesday, April 8, from noon-2 p.m.