The House in the Horseshoe is back in the proposed state budget, but the fate of Samarkand Youth Development Center in Eagle Springs remains uncertain.

That was the situation as of Thursday, but the compromise budget announced Tuesday by the Republican legislative leadership must still be adopted by the House of Representatives. Another unknown is whether Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue may veto the measure.

Still to be determined is the level of funding for the historic site.

District Attorney Maureen Krueger has been advised that the new budget will cut between 55 and 151 positions across the state, and she does not yet know how those cuts will affect her staff in the 19D Prosecutorial District serving Moore County.

"Tomorrow is going to be a very long day," state Rep. Jamie Boles said in a Thursday morning telephone interview.

Boles said the House is scheduled to vote on the new budget today and to remain in session until after midnight to take a final vote Saturday morning. Such overnight sessions are rare but are arranged to comply with legislative voting requirements. The Senate took its final vote Thursday.

The $19.6 million-plus budget announced Tuesday represents a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the budget. The announcement was made jointly by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Thom Tillis.

The Republican legislative leaders billed it as bipartisan, because five Democrats voted for the measure. It was not clear if those Democrats would support an override vote if the governor vetoes the budget.

"I am grateful that the budget funds teacher positions and teacher assistants at the state level," Boles said Thursday.

The compromise, according to Berger and Tillis, adds about $240 million more than the original Senate version to public education, funds all teaching assistants and classroom teachers, provides for more than 1,100 additional teachers in grades one through three to begin reducing classroom size, and develops a performance pay program for teachers and state employees.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism from state education officials and Perdue because it cuts other funding regarded as essential for the efficient operation of public schools. They argue that local school boards will be forced to lay off personnel, including teachers and assistants.

Boles said local school boards will make decisions about funding in their school districts.

"It's up to their discretion," Boles said.

The state is the primary source of funding for the public schools, and counties provide most of the remaining support. The federal government provides a much smaller percentage.

The Moore County school system expects state budget cuts of about $12 million, and the school administration has already arranged to absorb all but an estimated $3 million of that loss. The Moore County Board of Commissioners has been asked to cover that $3 million, but the budget subject to board approval at a Tuesday meeting does not include that sum.

Although the state budget is yet to be officially adopted, Krueger said Thursday that her office has already received its RIF (reduction in force) notification from the N.C. Administrative Office of Courts. She said the exact number of cuts in Moore County is not known at this time, but the executive committee of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys will meet next week to devise a formula for distributing the cuts.

In 2008, a workload study commissioned by the Administrative Office of Courts revealed that the Moore County DA's office was understaffed by assistant district attorneys and support staff.

Krueger said support staff members provide crucial services, such as direct assistance to crime victims and mandatory discovery compliance.

Her present staff includes five assistant DAs, one administrative assistant who does double duty as paralegal and office manager, four victim/witness legal assistants, and one investigator. One of the victim/witness assistant positions is vacant.

Krueger said she did an informal poll of criminal defense attorneys in Moore County and determined that most private attorneys have at least two support staff members per attorney. When she was in private law practice, Krueger says the firm had two or three support staffers per attorney.

She applied for and was awarded a federal grant for two domestic violation positions a year ago, but that grant expires next year. In addition, the DA's office has initiated an internship program for college and law students.

"I interned in the prosecutor's offices both in college and law school," Krueger said. "It was a great experience for me. Everyone benefits from it - students receive firsthand instruction in their trade, and the taxpayers get free labor."

Those in the know about legislative procedures caution that the budget is far from a final document, and some negotiations are likely to continue until the governor signs the document or lawmakers vote to override her veto - should that happen.

One contentious point is continuation of a temporary sales tax that expires this year. Perdue says continuing a percentage of that tax would add almost $1 billion to state coffers, sufficient to offset much of the reduction in public school budgeting. The Republicans argue that dropping the tax will put money back in the public's pockets and will boost the economy.

The House in the Horseshoe, named for its location in a bend of the Deep River near Glendon, was the scene of a militia skirmish near the end of the American Revolution. The old residence still bears scars from the musket shots. It is the setting for a battle reenactment every summer.

Boles worked to spare Samarkand Manor from budget cuts two years ago and continued to push to keep it open this year. The center is targeted because of its age and limited size.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.