Big crowd expected at hearing - Jule Hubbard, Wilkes Journal Patriot

Dr. Steve Laws, Wilkes school superintendent, last week said there were still no plans to cut teaching positions. "Everything else is vulnerable at this point," he said. "I'm sure there will be other positions left unfilled when people retire, so we'll be moving people around. Our intention is for teaching positions to be the last thing cut. We think class sizes are as large as can be and us still be effective." Dr. Gordon Burns, president of Wilkes Community College, said WCC representatives would attend the public hearing out of concern about a proposed 15 percent cut in county funds for the college. The proposed 2010-2011 budget now has $3.16 million for WCC, which is $558,552 (15 percent) less than the college was budgeted in fiscal 2009-2010.