District might delay start of school year

By Emily Richmond

Friday, July 18, 2003 | 11:29 a.m.

Clark County School District officials say if a solution is not found to the budget impasse soon, the start of school next month could be delayed and potential cuts made to programs and personnel.

The cuts could include middle school athletics, graduation ceremonies and the Gifted and Talented Education program. The district could also eliminate as many as 900 jobs, shifting employees to other open positions and freezing hiring.

The cuts were expected to be outlined in an announcement this morning.

Meanwhile, other Nevada school districts already have announced delays in the start of school or cuts to summer and year-round programs.

"Never in my wildest imaginations did I believe that the Legislature of this state would be so lax in meeting its obligations to our children," said Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the district. "It's time to start looking at those worst-case scenario plans we've had on the back burner."

Those plans, including the possible impact of a funding delay on teacher retirement funds and health care benefits, will be discussed at next Thursday's board meeting, Orci said.

The district already has reassigned 411 specialists -- in literacy, technology and the gifted and talented program -- to regular classrooms after officials said they could not continue making job offers to new teachers without knowing that the money would be there to pay their salaries. The district has enough cash to make payroll Aug. 5. After that the coffers will be empty, Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations, said.

District officials plan to ask the board's permission Thursday for a $40 million loan from its reserve accounts to keep year-round schools open during August.

The district is depending on the Aug. 1 payment from the state's Distributive School Account coming on time, Rulffes said. Without that, the district will be hard pressed to start the 2003-04 academic year as planned on Aug. 25.

Unless the Legislature approves a budget by midnight tonight, it is too late to put all 411 specialists back on their regular assignments, George Ann Rice, associate superintendent of human resources, said.

"Here we are on Friday, with no budget and no idea what the level of funding will be," she said. "Now we'll have to hope to do it one specialist at a time, one resource at a time."

While Clark County is the state's largest school district, it isn't the only one feeling the sting of the budget logjam.

Rural districts have asked the state Department of Taxation for guidance on getting emergency funds or loans to tide the schools over until the Legislature makes a decision on a tax package and passes the $1.6 billion school aid bill.

Anne Loring, president of the Nevada Association of School Boards, said today it asked the taxation department if it might borrow from the state. But she said that apparently is not possible.

She said there is a possibility the schools could seek commercial loans. "But there is some question if anybody would loan the money because it is backed by the state."

Charles Chinnock, director of the state Department of Taxation, said his agency will speed up the distribution of the sales tax due to schools in August. The schools receive money from the 2.25 percent sales tax and Chinnock said the August distribution is usually about Aug. 25-26.

He said his department will release the money a week to 10 days early to help them through their budget crisis. In addition, he said the districts are authorized to borrow money from other funds in the district to take care the emergencies.

He said these funds can be tapped but they must be paid back within 12 months.

Already Storey County has closed a summer school program for 25 special needs children. It was supposed to last 40 days but had to be shut down after 20 days because of a lack of money from the state.

The Nye County School Board has voted to delay the opening of school from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2 because it did not have the money to hire 26 teachers and pay for supplies.

"How do you get teachers assigned out to rural communities, have them find housing and have them ready to start school with just a few weeks' notice?" asked Rob Roberts, superintendent of the Nye County School District.

"Schools are like battleships. There are thousand things that have to happen in order to get a round-on target," said Roberts, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "The Legislature expects us to turn an aircraft carrier around in a parking lot."

In Washoe County, where Loring is on the school board, eight year-round schools will open and there will only be substitute teachers in 18 of the classes because of the shortage of money, she said.

The rural districts say they will run out of money Aug. 15 or Aug. 30.

Bob Crowell, a member of the Carson City School Board, said it has enough money to get it through until Aug. 15.

"Legislators are telling us they support the proposed education budget," said Loring. "But we can't pay our bills or meet our payroll with only good intentions. Time is running out."

Loring said the bond rating in the Clark County School District may be downgraded because the district will have to spend down its ending fund balance.

Curt Chapman of the Storey County School District said the lack of money has forced a delay in roof repairs, replacement of four classrooms lost in a windstorm and air conditioning for one of the elementary schools.

Dennis Keating of the Nye County School District said the purchase of books and supplies has been delayed.