From Washoe County School District Superintendent Traci Davis:
The Washoe County School District faces a significant shortfall in our general fund budget and, as a result, the Board of Trustees will have to make difficult decisions in order to approve a balanced budget. I would like to reiterate that no decisions have been made. However, because of the timing and the pressing need to ensure our schools are staffed and ready to teach our children, it was vital that we took proactive and immediate measures to ensure we are prepared for any eventuality.
That being said, it is important to note, that at no time did we talk about laying off staff.
We are working hard to pursue many options to ensure that we do not have to layoff teachers, including freezing all vacant positions with a focus on central office positions first. Additionally, we have been working with our associations, including the teacher’s union, every step of the way.
A spokesman with the Washoe County School District tells Channel 2, “as we prepare for Fiscal Year 2017-2018, WCSD does not have enough resources to support the staffing that our District has fought so hard to successfully maintain over the years since the recession. WCSD has managed to maintain these staffing levels by using rainy day funds and other cost saving measures. Every year we hire about 350 teachers to fill the positions of those who left the previous year.
WCSD has been in a structural deficit for many years now and we have finally reached a point where we have to look at all options and many of those are very difficult; one of those options being increasing class sizes. We need to remember that the legislative process still has a long way to go and WCSD’s budgeting process is also in very early stages.”
The WCSD’s budget shortfalls are currently estimated to be in excess of $30 million.
The Washoe County School District will hold a Board of Trustees Budget Workshop on Thursday, March 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Damonte Ranch High School. No official decisions will be made during the workshop. Then a budget town hall meeting on April 6, at 6 p.m. at Wooster High School.
At the April 11th Board of Trustees Meeting, the trustees will vote on the tentative budget that will be submitted to the Department of Taxation. June 8th is the District’s deadline to submit the final budget for fiscal year 2018 to the Department of Taxation.
Ultimately the Board will approve a final budget including the options used to balance the budget; and by law this must be done on or before June 8. The District will be able to adjust this budget with any final legislative changes that may occur after the WCSD adopts the final budget.
(The Washoe County School District contributed to this report.)
