Clark County School District faces estimated $37.8M budget shortfall for 2020-2021 school year

Clark County School District faces an estimated budget shortfall of almost $37.8 million for the 2020-2021 school year, according to a budget breakdown provided by the district.

Jeremy Chen reports.

C-C-S-D.AND NOW THERE ARE QUESTIONS IFTHIS WILL LEAD TO CUTBACKS ANDLAYOFFS..THANK YOU FOR JOINING US..I'M TODD QUINONES.AND... I'M TRICIA KEAN...13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER....JEREMY CHEN IS LIVE....TO BREAK DOWN THE BUDGET.JEREMY...A SMALLER BUDGET ISN'T MUCH OFA SUSPRISE- ESPECIALLY AFTERGOVERNOR SISOLAK HAS ASKEDDEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE TOCUT SPENDING IN LIGHT OF FISCALCHALLENGES DURING THE PANDEMIC.WHAT TYPE OF CHANGES WE'LL SEEAT THE SCHOOL LEVEL REMAINS TOBE SEEN.A SMALLER BUDGET FOR THE CLARKCOUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.THE DISTRICT RELEASING IT'SBUDGET BLUEPRINT FOR THEUPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.C-C-S-D IS PROJECTING A REVENUESHORTFALL OF 37.8 MILLIONDOLLARS- BECAUSE OF THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC.THIS MOSTLY COMES FROM A 130MILLION DOLLAR DROP IN LOCALSALES TAX REVENUE- CAUSED BYTHE LACK OF TOURISTS VISITINGAND SPENDING MONEY KENNETHRETZL- THE DIRECTOR OFEDUCATION POLICY AT THE GUINNCENTER- SAYS THE DISTIRCT WASCORRECT IN ANTICIPATING THESHORTFALL."THEY DID ACCOUNT FOR A LOT OFTHE REVENUE SHORTFALLS AND ITLOOKS LIKE THEY ACCOUNTED FORWHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS PROJECTEDFOR A SHORTFALL FOR THE FY 2021SCHOOL YEAR." HOWEVER-THEIMPACT OF THE SHORTFALL ISOFFSET WITH A RISE IN PROPERTYTAX REVENUE AND THE STATE'SDISTRIBUTIVE SCHOOL ACCOUNT-FUNDED BY THE STATE'S GENERALFUND, TAXES ON SLOT MACHINESAND MARIJUANA FEES."THE STATE OF NEVADA HAS ASEEMINGLY OVERRELIANCE ON THESALES TAX AND SEEMINGLY UNDERRELIANCE ON PROPERTY TAXES."RETZL SAYS ANY LAYOFFS AND CUTSAT C-C-S-D REMAIN TO BE SEEN-BUT SAYS RELIEF FROM THEFEDERAL CARES ACT COULD PROVIDEC-C-S-D REMAIN TO BE SEEN- BUTSAYS RELIEF FROM THE FEDERALCARES ACT COULD PROVIDE HELP."INSTEAD OF CUTTING SOMEPROGRAMS OR STAFF, THEY'LL USEIT FOR THAT.MAYBE THEY'LL USE IT TO RE-UPTHEIR CURRICULUM.I GUESS TIME WILL TELL."SUPERINTENDENT JESUS JARAADDRESSED THE BUDGET AT AVIRTUAL TOWN HALL TUESDAY.HE SAYS HE STILL HASN'T HEARDFROM THE STATE ON HOW MUCHSPENDING WILL NEED TO BE CUT.GOVERNOR SISOLAK TOLD STATEAGENCIES LAST MONTH TO PREPAREFOR CUTS OF 4 TO 14 PERCENT FORTHE NEXT TWO YEARS."WE'RE LOOKING AT INDIVIDUALSCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS HAVE DONETHEIR STRATEGIC BUDGETS ANDWE'RE GOING THROUGH THATPROCESS BUT NOT AS AN ENTIREDISTRICT FOR NEXT YEAR.WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGETARYNUMBERS FROM THE STATEDEPARTMENT AT THIS TIME."C-C-S-D HASN'T SAID WHETHER ITHAS RECEVIED RELIEF YET FROMTHE CARES ACT.THIS BUDGET BLUEPRINT WILL BEPRESENTED AT A SPECIAL SCHOOLBOARDMEETING NEXT WEEK ON MONDAY.COMING UP AT SIX- WE'LL HEARFROM THE C-C-E-A ABOUT WHATTHEY WANT TO SEE THE STATE DOABOUT EDUCATION FUNDING.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWS.AND... OF COURSE...OUR NEWSROOM HAS BEEN GETTING