Board spends its last million in budget

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 11:29 a.m.

The Clark County School Board on Thursday spent their last $1 million of the 1998-99 budget.

The money was divided up into eight areas:

-- Elementary education (school clerks) -- $126,000.

-- Secondary education (three additional days for counselors) -- $100,000.

-- Student Support Services (more interpreters and testing supplies) -- $113,650.

-- Alternative Education (two deans for Horizon High Schools and a school police lieutenant) -- $155,000.

-- Human Resources (recruiting budget increase and two clerks) -- $145,036.

-- Partnership program manager -- $50,000.

-- One more month of work for six elementary curriculum and instruction specialists -- $40,436.

-- More money for library aides and curriculum and administrative specialists -- $255,949.

Most of the district's $954 million annual budget -- 87.7 percent -- is spent on salaries and benefits. The money comes from sales taxes (39.4 percent), state money (31.7 percent) county property taxes (21 percent), and the rest from motor vehicle taxes and federal money.

Earlier in the year, district officials collected a "wish list" from every school that totalled $92 million worth of salary increases, school supplies and new positions. Board members lamented having only about $1 million left to allocate when all the bills were paid.

"I hope everyone understands how hard this is," board member Lois Tarkanian said. "We tried to be as fair as we could."