The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education adopted a nearly $173 million operating budget Monday.
The school system had been operating on a continuing budget until it received final figures from funding sources.
Nearly 65 percent of the district’s revenue comes from the state, with county and federal funding sources providing smaller chunks of about 15 percent.
The district dipped into its fund balance for almost $2 million to balance this year’s budget.
Several positions, including the assistant superintendent of operations, English as a Second Language director and accounts payable specialist, have been frozen to save classroom jobs.
Four language facilitators and one community-based trainer received pink slips as a cost-saving measure.
Tara Trexler, the district’s chief financial officer, said those five positions were eliminated from the exceptional children’s department because of the expiration of federal stimulus dollars.
Eighty-two percent of the school system’s operating budget will go to pay salaries and related benefits of the nearly 3,500 employees, 10 percent is used for purchased services like utilities and 8 percent is built in for supplies and materials.