Pitt County’s proposed 2024-25 budget gives public schools $4 million less than what the district requested, but it includes money to raise the local teacher pay supplement and funds school nurses, social workers and IT staff.
Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker and his senior administrators reviewed the system’s requests during the second day of the Pitt County Board of Commissioners’ budget workshop on Wednesday. Pitt Community College President Lawrence Rouse also presented his school’s budget requests. Lenker and Rouse are both retiring this summer.
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