School District officials pass $2.24B spending plan for 2016-17
Central administration cuts, overhauling teacher training and increasing student class sizes helped Clark County School District officials balance a nearly $2.24 billion spending plan for 2016-17.
In a 6-0 vote late Wednesday, the Clark County School Board approved its budget for the next academic year, with a slight bump of about $7 million from spending in 2015-16.
A virtual freeze in property tax collections and lower-than-expected student enrollment growth will keep revenues relatively flat for the nation’s fifth-largest school district.
But the state’s new “weighted” funding formula, which provides more per-pupil dollars for special needs children, will provide a boost of about $25 million.
“We do have the majority of special education students statewide,” said Jim McIntosh, the district’s chief financial officer.
He estimated the district will spend a total of $400 million for special education and receive just about $111 million for those students from the state.
Facing a $35.4 million deficit, district officials carved money out of the 2016-17 budget by transitioning staff training from central administration to individual schools. That move will save about $5.3 million.
Cheaper utility and fuel bills and a 2 percent cut for all administrative departments will provide another $12.6 million in savings.
At $21.5 million, the largest cut will require packing more students into already crowded classrooms.
The current student/teacher ratio is 32-to-1 in fourth and fifth grades; 34.5-to-1 in middle school; and 34-to-1 in high school.
Those ratios will rise by one student in grades four and five at underperforming schools; by one in all grades at other elementary schools; and by 1.5 at middle and high schools.
At Wednesday’s meeting, District G Trustee Erin Cranor highlighted a $500,000 reserve for a state-mandated performance pay program that rewards teachers and administrators for greater student achievement.
Dale Erquiaga, a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, critized that amount as “ridiculously low” last week during a commission hearing on spending and government efficiency. But Cranor noted $500,000 doesn’t include the professional growth and incentives included in a newly negotiated contract for all 18,000 teachers who work in the district.
In December, the board will meet again to approve a final amended budget for 2016-17.
Contact Neal Morton at nmorton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Find him on Twitter: @nealtmorton
