School budget storm brewing

During her presentation Friday night, Superintendent Carol Lark called the budgetary situation facing the Douglas County School District insane.

"We don't know what's going to happen," she said, referring to the state budget, a $2.3 billion shortfall in the state general fund, and a lengthy state legislative process that begins Feb. 2. "I got nothing from the state department. I don't even have a target to aim at."

Much of the confusion comes from the fact that the school district must prepare for a worst-case scenario reduction of $7.8 million out of a $34.5 million budget before knowing what the state will actually mandate this summer.

"On the 2009 legislative Web site (www.leg.state.nv.us), there is a 'public suggestions' button," Lark said. "The suggestions go to absolutely everyone in the Legislature. [You] should bombard them."

More than 50 people, mostly district employees, showed up at Friday's meeting, which was for discussion purposes only. Final decisions on how to reduce the district's budget will be made by school board members at their Feb. 11 meeting, 5 p.m., at Douglas High School.

Since personnel salaries make up the majority of the district's budget, preparations include the possibility of layoffs.

There's a chance that state cuts will not be as severe as anticipated, but district Human Resources Director Rich Alexander said if the board decides layoffs are necessary, he would still need to send out notifications to affected employees by May 1.

"Hopefully, if the budget changes, we could begin a call-back process," Alexander said. "The problem is we'd have to say those jobs are gone, although they're subject to call back."

For months, district officials have been preparing for cuts. Their projected best-case scenario for the 2009-10 fiscal year is $3 million worth of reductions, while their worst-case scenario is $7.8 million.

In November, the district compiled a list of possible cuts, many controversial, including the elimination of the gifted and talented program, middle school sports and field trips.

Since then, the list has evolved and deepened in severity as district officials weigh all options.

The elimination of transportation funding for athletic trips would procure a one-time savings of $460,000. Fundraisers could make up that difference, or students could transport themselves.

Eliminating stipend funding for athletics and extracurricular activities all together would save $260,000.

"Would the elimination of stipends ultimately eliminate sports?" Douglas High teacher and football coach Ernie Monfiletto asked board members.

Alexander answered that someone could volunteer to coach a sport.

"Ultimately my belief," Monfiletto said, "is that the experience of extracurricular activities is equally important as what goes on in the classroom. A lot of kids would never survive high school without those opportunities."

Monfiletto was also worried about depending on fundraising.

"The community is suffering bad times," he said. "There is not a lot of money, and fundraising is not likely."

Other ideas were tossed around.

Board member Keith Roman discussed closing one elementary school for a savings of approximately $2.4 million. The measure would require re-zoning and sending ninth-graders to the high school and sixth-graders to the middle schools.

"It might be a viable consideration," said Roman. "We're involved in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures."

Another possibility is shifting the district to a four-day work week. Lark said $280,000 could be saved in salaries by the absence of food service and transportation employees for the day removed, not to mention utility costs. But she was worried families would be burdened by the need for child care on the extra day. She also said more research needs to be performed on the effectiveness of four-day work weeks.

Wherever the conversation wandered, it seemed to come back to jobs, putting a human value to terms like "restructuring."

Eliminating 10 elementary art, music and physical education teachers would save $650,000, but would require that regular classroom teachers include the subjects in their curriculum.

Eliminating half of the district's elementary school counselors would save $195,000. Similar reductions at the secondary level would double the savings.

"Just imagine what services would be impacted," Lark said.

Reducing the number of district nurses and health aides could save $176,000, but it would force nonmedical staff members to administer first aid, a measure that Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School nurse Cherie Alexander said would compromise student safety.

"I don't think it's fair or safe, and it's a slippery slope leading to medical liability," she said. "Emergency situations happen, and they require someone with a medical background."

Another possibility is increasing middle and high school class sizes. Raising the student to teacher ratio from 25 to 26 would save $390,000, but result in teacher layoffs.

"Every (proposal) I've been sharing with you is a reduction in services," Lark said. "There is no one in the district who is not valued and needed."

In his proposed budget, Gov. Jim Gibbons included a 6-percent pay cut for state workers, including teachers. In his Jan. 15 State of the State address, he argued that the pay reduction would prevent layoffs.

Lark said she didn't know if Gibbons' proposal would apply to just teachers, or other district employees. She was also unsure if the proposal meant 6 percent for the biennium, a 3-percent decrease each year, or 6 percent each year for a total 12-percent decrease.

The matter is complicated by the nature of teacher contracts, salaries that are negotiated each year between the school district and teacher unions. Legal issues could arise from a universal cut, but Lark said groups could come forward on their own.

The Douglas County Administrators Association has already agreed to freeze their own salaries, saving the district $20,000.

Lark said a salary freeze across the entire district would save $500,000, or about six to 10 positions. She said a 6-percent cut district-wide would save about $2 million, or 24 to 40 positions.

The district is one of the county's largest employers with about 800 employees, half of which are teachers.