The recommendation includes a total operating budget of $629,085,238, with nearly 7 percent coming from the federal government, nearly 62 percent coming from the state and 31.2 percent funded locally by Guilford County. 

The recommended request of the Guilford County Commission is $189.2 million, including $13.6 million to fund items in three categories:

1. An increase of $5.9 million to sustain operations. Over the past three years, GCS has requested $13.9 million in increased funding, but has not received it. As a result, the district has absorbed $19.1 million in increased costs in student enrollment at the district and charter school level, health insurance, retirement, utilities and hundreds of thousands of square feet of classroom and school space. 
2. An increase of $3.4 million to cover a salary increase for all employees. The funding also includes $1.08 million to recruit and retain quality employees and hard-to-fill medical and health care educator positions. 
3. An additional $3.2 million to restore cuts made as a result of the Great Recession. In the past five years, GCS has cut central administration and school-based positions, supplies, materials and professional development, as well as increasing class size by one student. This funding would undo the increase by .5 students per class by adding approximately 63 teacher positions.