LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Budget cuts are planned for some schools in the Clark County School District — cuts that could affect your child.
They're a part of the budgeting process for the next school year for some schools, but parents are raising questions. Two of these parents spoke with me about what this could mean for their child's education.
"I know we are dealing with more budget cuts," said Heather Seltzer. She has children who go to Ellis Elementary School in Henderson.
She told me cuts will be needed as the elementary school works on its 2025-26 budget.
"I know we are going down to one guidance counselor from two, we are losing our security staff, we are losing a specialist, we are losing other support staff that have been there at the school for years," Seltzer said.
She remembers last Legislative Session when Governor Joe Lombardo passed the largest budget for education ever.
"Where is it? That is what I want to know. Where is it?" Seltzer asked.
Another parent, Rebecca Dirks Garcia, who spoke with me was very familiar with the budgeting process.
"I have three kids at three schools and sit on the SOT at each of those schools," Dirks Garcia said.
Each school has a "SOT," which stands for School Organizational Team — a group of parents and staff from the school that work on the school's budget.
On Jan. 15, CCSD gave each school an estimated 2050-26 budget. Schools had until Feb. 7 to figure it out.
"Part of the reason that is done is because really important planning like hiring of staff happens in the Spring...[it] helps principals know how many people they can hire or if they need to surplus staff so they can find positions at other schools," Dirks Garcia said.
With more money being allocated to education from the state from the last Legislative Session in 2023, parents like Seltzer want to know why the cuts are needed. But it's complicated.
Dirks Garcia tells me a lot of that money went to teacher salaries, and for years, student enrollment has been on the decline. Next school year, the district is expecting 3,000 less students.
CCSD provided me with this statement, that reads in part:
"...School budget allocations are based on projected student enrollments that are declining for the upcoming school year and funding projections, which won’t be known until the Legislative Session concludes..."
A school district representative tells me the average per pupil funding is about $9,500. So, less students means less money to a school.
"A loss of 10, 40 kids may not seem like a lot, but that can be two, to three, to four, to five teachers," Dirks Garcia said.
Basically, the estimates are worst case scenario as they don't know if more money is coming from the state as the Legislative Session just got underway.
"If that budget ends up being higher than what has CCSD projected, then schools when we see our strategic budget again in September will have more money available," Dirks Garcia said.
Seltzer says she knows other parents have raised questions.
"It is not just Ellis. It is the entire school system," she said.
There are a few reasons for the decline in enrollment, including less people having children after the 2008 Recession, more charter schools and more people choosing to home school.
The district did release an explanation of the budgeting process, which you can view in more detail by clicking the link here.
