CCSD slices budget, positions

The Churchill County School Board held a special meeting Monday night to discuss budget cuts that will save the district more than $2 million.

School Board President Ron Evans said these decisions would not be easy.

“This is one of those meeting that school board members dislike the most,” Evans said. “They have to make difficult decisions that will affect the lives of students, teachers and staff. These choices are not easy decisions to make and we can’t make any promises other than we’ll do the best job that we can.”

Phyllys Dowd, director of Business Services, gave trustees recommendations for positions and licensed and classified employees that could be cut to save $1.4 million. The positions and employees being cut range from individuals retiring to some getting riffed.

Once the trustees agreed to the budget cut, they were still responsible for finding the remaining $680,000 that needed to be sliced.

Superintendent Dr. Sandra Sheldon and Dowd presented the trustees with recommendations on where the cuts could originate.

After a four-hour long deliberation on recommendations, the trustees decided to cut the following:

The Western Nevada College Jump Start to College program will have its budget reduced by $8,800.

Instructional material such as textbooks and related course material will be reduced from $100,000 to $50,000. Concerns arose when Becky Dodd, president of the Churchill County Educators Association, informed the trustees that a lot of the current teaching materials are falling a part and the instructional material is bought with the teacher’s own money without being reimbursed.

The Churchill County High School vocational aide position will be cut and will save the district $33,493.

The Churchill County High School computer lab aide position will be cut, which saves the district $35,000. CCHS Principal Kevin Lords said the position was created to help teachers and students in the lab but it hasn’t been used properly for a while. He said it would be fine if the position were cut.

Two bus routes will be cut, which will save the district $33,172.

Move the instructional consultation position from general fund to special education, saving $36,196.

The insurance waiver will be cut by 75 percent of the projected cost that should save $59,910. Dowd said this would save the district money if employees opted out of insurance since several of them have other insurance options that they are able to use.

The transportation secretary days were cut from 260 to 230 with savings of $5,305.

Northside Early Learning Center special education instructional aide was cut, saving the district $33,493.

Stipends for athletic trainer were cut, saving $3,190.

The ending fund balance, which is part of the district’s savings, was cut $200,000.

The 2015 buyouts were cut saving $100,000. Trustee Steve Nunn said cutting the buyouts makes sense. He said it doesn’t make sense to save that money for buyouts when the district is cutting employees, programs and materials that the students need.

The contingency fund was cut, saving the district $18,400. Trustee Gregory Koenig said since he has been on the board, the contingency fund hasn’t been used in several years.

The national student travel fund was cut and saves the district $4,000.

A consulting contract was cut. which saves $2,000.

Dowd said the business, human resources and technology departments will look within their offices to see what they can cut by 10 percent, which could save $69,700.