School Board hears update on federal emergency relief dollars

The Clark County school board on Thursday heard the amended final budget for the 2020-2021 school year, including an update on how the district has allocated its federal emergency relief dollars.

Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie outlined that the district has transferred $44.3 million in utilities costs to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief budget to free up general fund dollars, which were used to restore programs cut by the summer’s special session of the state Legislature.

The measure allows the general fund to carry the $101 million in total costs for the SB178, Read by Grade 3 and GATE programs, according to the presentation.

Goudie said another $37 million in CARES Act dollars the district received had to be used by Dec. 31 and was spent primarily on Chromebooks and distance learning.

The district projects in 2021 to have its highest unassigned ending fund balance in more than a decade, at around 2.25 percent, according to Goudie. By its own regulations, the district is required to have a 2 percent unassigned ending fund balance, but has fallen short of that goal in recent years, dropping in 2017 to .3 percent.

Goudie cautioned that the amount was still low by state standards.

“It’s not healthy. It’s anemic, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Goudie said.

The district is still looking ahead to budget uncertainties, such as the full economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential for up to 12 percent more in budget reductions over the next biennium, and a possible decline in enrollment.

The board approved using $761,000 in state and federal funds for a program to screen students and staff on their mental health in order to provide interventions. Trustees said such a program was long-awaited, with Linda Cavazos and Danielle Ford emphasizing a need to fund it beyond the one year currently budgeted.

Also on the consent agenda, the board approved a policy to require schools to staff their libraries with certified teacher-librarians, or licensed teachers if the former is unavailable.

The school board approved two new namesakes for district schools: Hannah Marie Brown, a veteran of district advisory committees and a prominent scholarship fundraiser; as well as lifelong teachers and administrators Barry and June Gunderson, who have 60 years of combined service to the district.

The meeting was the second-to-last for three outgoing trustees — Linda Young, Chris Garvey and Deanna Wright — who have each served on the board for 12 years and were honored on Thursday.

The board will meet for a final time in its current configuration on Dec. 15 to evaluate Superintendent Jesus Jara.

New trustees-elect will be sworn in on Jan. 4.

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.