Johnston School Board Requests 5.7% Increase In County Funding

By The Smithfield Weekly Sun

6% raises budgeted for teachers; state may go to 8%

SMITHFIELD, N.C. – The Johnston County Board of Education Tuesday approved a 2026-27 budget request that seeks an increase in the county’s appropriation for operations from $110 million this year to $116.3 million in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. That’s an increase of 5.7%.

But the school board’s request is based on pay raises for teachers of 6% by the state while leaders of the N.C. General Assembly now say raises of 8% are being considered in negotiations for a state budget that’s almost a full year overdue. (Most of Johnston’s teacher salaries are covered by the state, yet the county matches those salaries for numerous teaching positions beyond what the state allocates.)

Johnston’s school leaders emphasized during Tuesday’s board meeting that the two driving factors behind their requested increase in county aid are teacher salaries and expenses related to the opening of the new Wilson’s Mills High School this summer.

“We’re meeting the goals commissioners wanted us to meet,” said board member Terry Tippett, noting that opening the new high school following last year’s opening of Swift Creek Elementary eliminates mobile classrooms. “The lion’s share of what we’re asking for is going for teachers,” added board member Michelle Antoine.

In addition to the requested $6.3 million increase for operations, the school board’s budget seeks an increase of $1,978,000 in county aid for capital needs – from $3.5 million this year to $5,478,000 in the new year. That request includes money for fleet replacements (vehicles), chiller replacements (HVAC), computer devices, and other items related to maintenance of facilities and equipment.

Meanwhile, County Manager Rick Hester plans to present his recommended county budget for the year ahead at Monday evening’s meeting of the commissioners. The final version of the 2026-27 county budget must be adopted by July 1.

School board blasts Sysco over food-service contract

Board members expressed outrage when they learned that Sysco Raleigh for several years has been increasing its “fixed case fee” for delivering food to Johnston’s public schools far beyond amounts charged neighboring school districts.

Jennifer Lawson, Johnston’s director of School Nutrition Services, said Sysco has increased its fee from $1.18 in 2022-23 to a requested $4.48 for 2026-27. That would have raised the cost to Johnston’s schools from about $238,000 last year to about $896,000 in the year to come, she said, but her staff convinced Sysco to cut its new price by 25 cents to $4.23.

Ms. Lawson presented Sysco’s prices for other systems in the region that are lower than what Johnston is being asked to pay: Wake $3.57; Sampson $3.58; Harnett $3.68; Durham $3.78; Wilson $3.99.

“How do they justify this?” exclaimed board member Kay Carroll. “It boggles the mind that a company coming into this county would get a tax break and then come back and charge us the highest case fee in the region.” He was referring to property-tax rebates both the county and the Town of Selma have provided Sysco for expanding its distribution facilities beside US 70 on Selma’s west side.

Ms. Lawson pointed out that Sysco no longer has any competition in bidding for Johnston’s contract. US Foods at nearby Zebulon has pulled out of serving schools in this region, she noted.

Ms. Lawson said Sysco’s fee increases this past year forced her department “to make some operational adjustments” including employee layoffs and benefit cuts and removing “some popular menu items such as wings” from the menus.

“We do hope that Sysco Raleigh will come back to the table,” concluded Superintendent of Schools David Pearce. “This makes no sense to us.”

But for now, board members reluctantly yet unanimously approved the coming year’s contract with Sysco at the negotiated per-case price of $4.23.