LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Clark County School District Board of Trustees got an update of the district’s budget deficit Thursday night and had to chance to ask questions about it. Earlier this month, the district reported a $10.9 million shortfall and fired their Chief Financial Officer.
“I am still trying to wrap my head around…a $50 odd million budget deficit to $20 million, to $12 to $10.9,” explained Trustee Isaac Barron who was appointed by the City of North Las Vegas. As Barron was seeking answers of Interim Superintendent Dr. Brenda Larsen-Mitchell and her staff, Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales shut him down, his mic shut off.
“This is not an inquisition, this is not a gotcha,” Garcia Morales stated.
“That is not an answer, there is no figures, there is no numbers. There is no reference to anything,” Barron continued though his mic was off.
“We are going to move on,” Garcia-Morales responded.
For some trustees, what is going on with the budget remained unclear even after an update from Dr. Larsen-Mitchell.
“In regard to our potential central budget deficit, it remains at approximately $10 million,” Larsen-Mitchell revealed.
Larsen-Mitchell said “process improvement work” is underway to get the district financials back on a clear track.
In response to Governor Joe Lombardo’s request to learn more about the budget, Dr. Larsen-Mitchell revealed three individuals representing the state are now looking at CCSD’s budget.
“Paul Johnson CFO of White Pine School District, Tom Ciesynski retired CFO of Washoe School District, and Jim McIntosh CFO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and former CCSD CFO, we are really, really excited to work with them,” Larsen-Mitchell shared.
The district said it plans to absorb the potential budget deficit utilizing unassigned funds. An amended final budget is scheduled to be presented to the board on December 12th but the impacts of the deficit for schools are being felt now.
“Do we know how many staff positions…were cut?,” asked Trustee Brenda Zamora.
“Thirty-six licensed professionals were sent to surplus meaning they were budgeted out, 41 support professionals…and then five administrators,” responded a CCSD official.
Thursday night, the CCSD Trustees also approved a special board meeting on Wednesday. They will be interviewing ten people to fill the vacant seat of former Trustee Katie Williams for the last few months of her term. Williams was asked to step down from the school board by the Clark County District Attorney after he found out she was living in Nebraska. According to the agenda, they plan to swear someone in immediately after those candidate interviews next week.
Katie Williams stepping down left her district without representation and the search of a new superintendent has been delayed as a result. By the next regular school board meeting after the election, the future make up of the CCSD Board of Trustees will be decided as four seats are up for grabs this election.
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