Carson City school budget: Where to cut?

Carson City School Superintendent Richard Stokes and his staff unveiled a new option to the school board Saturday morning to help the district close an expected budget gap.

A previous option put forward by district staff called for closing one elementary school, for a projected savings of $3.5 million. Most of the board openly opposed this option on Saturday.

The new Option B included a long list of cost savings that keeps all current schools open, closes down eight portable classrooms and eliminates 56 positions, for a savings of $3.765 million.

"I'd like to see us adopt plan B," said board member Norm Scoggin. "We need to get through this year before we can get to the next and beyond."

Option B also calls for moving Fremont Elementary School from its current year-round schedule to the same schedule used by the other schools. Board members Joe Enge and Jim Lemaire questioned how much extra keeping the year-round schedule would cost, and asked Stokes to break out the costs of that move.

"From what I can see, changing Fremont's schedule doesn't provide a lot of long-term savings," Enge said.

Board member Joanne Wilson said the district should cover the gap that will occur in teacher salaries and benefits if Fremont is moved to the traditional school calendar.

"I want them covered. I want those teachers to feel safe," Wilson said.

Other items in Option B include eliminating all field trips, charging students for transportation costs for activities, fees for participating in school sports and limiting after-school activities.

Enge spoke against charging for school activities.

"That keeps students engaged in academic programs, and my best students were involved in athletics and other student activities," Enge said. He suggested offsetting that cost by having elementary schools share a single vice principal.

Enge presented his own plan, which largely dealt with money the district might get from the federal stimulus bill recently signed into law.

"This is a whole new factor in terms of a revenue stream we have not incorporated in our budget discussions," Enge said.

One of the difficulties of interpreting the bill is a requirement that schools match their 2006 level of funding, which is currently being done by elementary and secondary schools in the state, but Nevada's colleges and universities are lagging behind. Even so, Enge is confident the money for the schools will be released.

"Can you imagine Harry Reid's state not receiving any of this money? I just don't see that coming," Enge said.

Enge recommended waiting on making any drastic decisions until they know how much they will get.

Board President Barbara Howe said one of the aims of the meeting was to get board members to express what direction they want to go so district staff can start putting together options for the budget that is due on April 15.

Board members and the public also were asked for their cost-savings suggestions to be added to the list of items the board would consider.

One suggestion was moving to a four-day school week, which would potentially save on utilities and transportation costs.

Stokes worried students and teachers would be too tired with the extra time each day, thus effecting learning, a position shared by some on the board.

"I'm concerned with K through four; that adding any hours to their day will be good for them," said board member Steve Reynolds.

Howe said for rural districts where some students get bused long distances that it makes sense to eliminate a school day. But since Carson City is far more compact, the transportation savings would be much less.

A suggestion also was made to add a little time to each day in order to get a few more days off during the year.

Lemaire suggested the district look into offering more alternative distance teaching like they do at Silver State High School.

"I'm not advocating this as the preferred way to get an education in Carson City, but there is certainly a segment of the population that likes to get their education that way," Lemaire said.

Bob Anderson, director of fiscal services, said the district needs to plan for the expected drop in student numbers. He also noted that an expected rise in unemployment in the area would lead to further drops.

"It's not the current problem you are in, it's the long term problem that you are facing," Anderson said.

Anderson said that because of the $11 million the district has in the bank, it has the luxury of being able to put off closing a school for the coming school year to better plan for that occasion.

Also discussed was moving sixth grade to the elementary schools, and ninth grade to middle schools. This was dismissed because of transportation costs.

Other suggestions included moving all schools to year-round schedule, considering multi-track schedules, reducing testing, using volunteer crossing guards and working in partnership with Carson City's JAC bus system for transportation.

"Whether we like all of these suggestions or not is not the point," Scoggin said. "We have to do something. Option B seems to be the most palatable, even though it may not be the first choice of many of us. We can live with this."

- Contact reporter Kirk Caraway at kcaraway@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1261.