Public charter schools like Shining Rock are funded by taxpayer revenues disbursed on a per-student basis through federal, state and county governments, and as such must construct their annual budgets according to how many students they think they’ll have in the coming year. 

Board Treasurer Chad Carver said during the meeting that the estimated enrollment would likely be around 360 students, as opposed to the 400 planned for last year. 

This year’s $3.2 million budget does not include funding for another administrative position, which Carver said was needed, but it does include a new public relations/marketing position. 

Board Chair Michelle Haynes did not respond to multiple emails from The Smoky Mountain News asking why enrollment was projected to be lower, why an additional administrator wasn’t funded and why a PR/marketing position was needed. A request for the job description of and compensation package for the PR position likewise went unanswered, but an Indeed.com job opening for the position said it would pay $35,000 to $40,000 a year.