Editor’s Note: Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Other (indicate in message) Submitted: May 16, 2025 | Updated: June 18, 2025
(May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 – present day.
SUBJECT:
(May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 - present day.
MESSAGE:
Good afternoon W-S/FC, NC Schools (Records Officer / Custodian(s) of these Records),
Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html
I am interested in data regarding “reduction in workforce” in the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County, NC School System. I am not requesting personally identifying info about employees. I’m only interested in totals:
- Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who lost their jobs. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
- Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who were demoted or changed from a 12 month to 11 or 10 month employee. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
- I'd like to see a breakdown of cost savings per job eliminated, demoted etc.
Ideally, I’d like to receive any responsive records in an Excel or other machine-readable format. If any / all of this info is already publicly available online, please provide a link to where it can be accessed.
** I’m simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to "inspect", nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record already exists). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
————————————
Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and clear explanations of those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request. However, in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816
The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Status: Clarification Provided
Activity:
-
June 18, 2025 2:48 pm
1 week ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: “Miller-Simpson, Sheila R” <[email protected]>
cc: “Weikart, Christopher E” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 18, 2025, 2:48 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request_RIFGood afternoon Sheila and HR,
Please allow me to clarify, as there has been some confusion.
I submitted the following public records request to your Request Form on May 16th:
(May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 – present day.
Relevant portions of my request’s message:
I am interested in data regarding “reduction in workforce” in the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County, NC School System. I am not requesting personally identifying info about employees. I’m only interested in totals:
– Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who lost their jobs. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
– Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who were demoted or changed from a 12 month to 11 or 10 month employee. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
– I’d like to see a breakdown of cost savings per job eliminated, demoted etc.
Ideally, I’d like to receive any responsive records in an Excel or other machine-readable format. If any / all of this info is already publicly available online, please provide a link to where it can be accessed.I understand that you’ve given yourselves until July 01 to fulfill the request. However, when I followed up on June 16th, Sheila said:
Good morning. I received the following reply from our Chief HR Officer regarding your request:
“Once the RIF positions are posted on a personnel report, we will provide the information requested”
You can follow up your request at a later date or consult our website and look under the personnel report that would be supplied as part of the regular BOE agenda. This request dated is deemed closed.
This statement is the cause of confusion. I am willing to wait until July 01 for those records to be produced. However, what I’ve been trying explain to Sheila is that if WS/FCS is in possession of the data I’ve requested on May 15th, then by Law you are required to produce the info without delay — not, as has been suggested, ask me to wait until after a report is produced following the next Board meeting (I assume you mean the one on June 24th). This statement seems to demonstrate that the production of records I’ve requested in May is being intentionally delayed until after the Board meets.
I will wait to follow up again after July 01.
Thank you for your assistance.
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Clarification Provided -
June 18, 2025 2:20 pm
1 week ago
from: Miller-Simpson, Sheila R <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
cc: “Weikart, Christopher E” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 18, 2025, 2:20 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request_RIFGood afternoon. I am not withholding any RIF information that you are seeking.
I have copied WS/FCS Chief of HR on this email because the statement came directly from him. I don’t produce the information from various departments but disburse it to the Public Record requesters.
Any further discussions as far as when the personnel report will be available would have to be directed to HR.
FYI-your request has been re-opened but the personnel report will be available online under the BOE agendas once it is made public.
Sheila Simpson
WS/FCS Communications & External Relations
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27103-2513
336-661-3111-desk
“You cannot have a Positive life and a Negative mind.”-Joyce Meyer
All e-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Status: Response Received from Government -
June 18, 2025 2:09 pm
1 week ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: “Miller-Simpson, Sheila R” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 18, 2025, 2:09 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request_RIFHi Sheila,
Thank you for your message.
It seemed that you’re suggesting the information I requested will not be produced until after the Board meets? Whenever that is. You also indicated that “This request dated is deemed closed.”
I am trying to indicate that by Law you are not allowed to delay the fulfillment of my request simply because you’d prefer to have the board meet first, or because they may be producing similar records on their website, at some point in the future.
Please proceed to fulfill my request without delay.
Alternatively — if you were meaning to suggest that the exact information I’ve requested is about to be made public (within the month), then I am willing to wait in that case, and could consider that as fulfillment of my request… if / when you send me a link to that information.
Thank you for your help.
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Clarification Provided -
June 16, 2025 2:43 pm
1 week ago
from: Miller-Simpson, Sheila R <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
date: Jun 16, 2025, 2:43 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request_RIFThank you for the useful information.
Any time I am given the information from staff that is information is promptly delivered to the requester.
Our website states 30-business days is the usual turnaround time.
Once information is published the information is public. I was simply pointing out that any reduction in workforce has not been published and has not been posted under the personnel report.
I most certainly can keep your request open.Sheila Simpson
WS/FCS Communications & External Relations
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27103-2513
336-661-3111-desk
“You cannot have a Positive life and a Negative mind.”-Joyce Meyer
All e-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Status: Clarification Provided -
June 16, 2025 2:22 pm
1 week ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: “Miller-Simpson, Sheila R” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 16, 2025, 2:22 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request_RIFHi Sheila,
Thank you for the update.
Under NC Public Records Law, WS-FCS is required to “promptly” process all public records requests. Essentially, this means that if you intentionally delay the fulfillment of a request by allowing it to “sit” until staff has availability to address it, or feels like answering my emails, this could be considered a denial of a request. With this in mind, I want to highlight the court case referenced in item #6 of the following article, posted on the NC Press Association website. In this instance: “The trial court held that an unjustified one-month delay in production of records was tantamount to a denial”. http://www.ncpress.
com/stories/a-bakers-dozen- for-2022nc-public-records-law, 2390 I noticed that in the document attached you’ve given yourselves until July 01 to complete the request.
I understand that HR now prefers to wait to process my request until a later date (what is that date?). However, if you’re in possession of the records I’ve requested on May 15th, you are required to produce them without delay.
If you are able to provide an exact date by when the records I requested will be provided to me, or when they will be posted in their entirety on your website … in that case I would be willing to wait. Provided that the date is reasonably soon.
I do not deem my request to be “completed” or “closed” at this time.
Thank you for your assistance.
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Clarification Requested -
June 16, 2025 1:56 pm
1 week ago
from: Miller-Simpson, Sheila R <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
date: Jun 16, 2025, 1:56 PM
subject: Public Records Request_RIFGood morning. I received the following reply from our Chief HR Officer regarding your request:
“Once the RIF positions are posted on a personnel report, we will provide the information requested”
You can follow up your request at a later date or consult our website and look under the personnel report that would be supplied as part of the regular BOE agenda. This request dated is deemed closed.
Sheila Simpson
WS/FCS Communications & External Relations
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27103-2513
336-661-3111-desk
“You cannot have a Positive life and a Negative mind.”-Joyce Meyer
All e-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
**Editor’s Note: Please see 1 attached file referenced (“Sunshine_Reduction-In-Workforce-1.pdf”) at top left in our Documents section.
Status: Response Received from Government -
June 12, 2025 2:58 pm
2 weeks ago
from: Miller-Simpson, Sheila R <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
date: Jun 12, 2025, 2:58 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request (PRR)_Reduction in WorkforceI appreciate the follow up regarding the PRR you submitted on 5.16.25. We estimated that the reply would be returned to you within our normal 30 business days, which would be around 7.1.25.
However I will check with HR to see if they have any information that they have made public to pass along to you.
Thank youSheila Simpson
WS/FCS Communications & External Relations
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27103-2513
336-661-3111-desk
“You cannot have a Positive life and a Negative mind.”-Joyce Meyer
Status: Government Processing Request -
June 12, 2025 1:31 pm
2 weeks ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: “Miller-Simpson, Sheila R” <[email protected]>
cc: “Herreid, Evan M” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 12, 2025, 1:31 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request (PRR)_Reduction in WorkforceHi Sheila,
Following up again to ask if you can provide an anticipated date or timeline for the completion of my request?
I’ll follow up again in 1 week.
Thank you!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Follow up -
June 4, 2025 4:37 pm
3 weeks ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: “Miller-Simpson, Sheila R” <[email protected]>
cc: “Herreid, Evan M” <[email protected]>
date: Jun 4, 2025, 4:37 PM
subject: Re: Public Records Request (PRR)_Reduction in WorkforceHi Sheila,
Just checking again to see if there’s any update to report regarding timing for the completion of my request?
I’ll follow up again in 1 week, if I don’t hear anything else before then.
Thank you!
Status: Follow up -
May 27, 2025 3:37 pm
4 weeks ago
from: Miller-Simpson, Sheila R <[email protected]>
to: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
cc: “Herreid, Evan M” <[email protected]>
date: May 27, 2025, 3:37 PM
subject: Public Records Request (PRR)_Reduction in WorkforceGood afternoon WS/FCS did receive your PRR on Monday, 5.19.25, and at that time forwarded the request to our Human Resources Department.
As soon as they provide me with the information I will forward it to you for review.
Thank you for your patience.
Sheila Simpson
WS/FCS Communications & External Relations
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27103-2513
336-661-3111-desk
“You cannot have a Positive life and a Negative mind.”-Joyce Meyer
All e-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
** Editor’s Note: Please see the 1 file (“Sunshine_Reduction In Workforce.pdf“) Sheila attached to her email, at top left in our Documents section.
Status: Government Processing Request -
May 27, 2025 2:30 pm
4 weeks ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: WS/FCS Request for Public Records <[email protected]>
cc: “Sapp, Elaine A” <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected]
date: May 27, 2025, 2:30 PM
subject: Following up on my Public Records Request. (May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 – present day.Good afternoon Evan, Elaine, Amanda, Chris,
I submitted the following public records request to your Request Form on May 16th at 5:45pm:
(May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 – present day.
I haven’t received a response since submitting the request (other than an auto-reply thanking me for the submission).
Can you please provide an anticipated date or timeline for the completion of my request? I will follow up again in 1 week, if I don’t hear anything else before then.
Thank you for your help!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Follow up -
May 16, 2025 5:45 pm
1 month ago
**Editor’s Note 05/16/25: The request below was submitted to W-S/FCS via the public records request form on their website, today at 5:45pm EST. The auto-responses we received were as follows:
WS/FCS Request for Public Records
Thank you for submitting your request. We work to be as responsive as possible within 30 days however your request may take longer. For questions email Evan Herreid at [email protected] or call 336-727-2696.
from: WS/FCS Request for Public Records <[email protected]>
to: [email protected]
date: May 16, 2025, 5:45 PM
subject: Public Records Request ReceiptHello and thank you for your request from WS/FCS.
Please note our team will begin processing this request. We try to respond within 30 days, however, depending on the schedule, the time of year, or the nature of the request, it can take longer. We do them in the order received and will respond once we have produced any records that are responsive to your request.
If you have any questions please reach out to me directly.
Thank you!
This is an automated message was sent to you by the –> Form Notifications add-on for Google Forms.
We will post any updates we receive on our website. Thanks for using Sunshine Request!
SUBJECT:
(May 2025) Request for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, NC Schools: “Reduction in workforce” data. 03/01/25 – present day.
MESSAGE:
Good afternoon W-S/FC, NC Schools (Records Officer / Custodian(s) of these Records),
Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html
I am interested in data regarding “reduction in workforce” in the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County, NC School System. I am not requesting personally identifying info about employees. I’m only interested in totals:
– Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who lost their jobs. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
– Please provide the total number of employees / faculty / staff who were demoted or changed from a 12 month to 11 or 10 month employee. During the period of 03/01/2025 through the present day (on the date the query is performed).
– I’d like to see a breakdown of cost savings per job eliminated, demoted etc.
Ideally, I’d like to receive any responsive records in an Excel or other machine-readable format. If any / all of this info is already publicly available online, please provide a link to where it can be accessed.
** I’m simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to “inspect”, nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record already exists). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
————————————
Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and clear explanations of those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request. However, in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816
The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Status: Sent to Government -
May 16, 2025 5:44 pm
1 month ago
Submitted to Sunshine Request
Status: Pending