Public Invited to Attend First Community Budget Advisory Committee Meeting Friday

A new Community Budget Advisory Committee will meet for the first time on Friday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. to ask questions, provide input and suggest a direction for future budget priorities at the Clark County School District (CCSD).

The public meeting at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building room 4401, 555 E. Washington Ave., will include a presentation and question-and-answer session with CCSD Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie, who will talk about why CCSD is facing a budget shortfall of an estimated $50 to $60 million.

“Many of us in the community have been concerned and disheartened to see tens of millions of cuts to the Clark County School District budget,” Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton said. “The Community Budget Advisory Committee is an opportunity for our community to ask questions about why our school system has faced budget shortfalls recently, and how we want to invest in our schools in the long-term.”

“Nevada’s schools are currently funded by the Nevada Plan, which was created in the 1960s,” Educate Nevada Now Policy Director Sylvia Lazos said. “We know the students of today have different needs in our diverse state. It’s up to all Nevadans to ask the hard questions about education and make the difficult decisions to support our students – and our long-term economic growth.”

CCSD’s budget has grown increasingly tight over recent years, after trimming more than $730 million from the budget since 2008, as well as handling more than $260 million per year in unfunded mandates. The district’s base funding also has not kept up with rising employee costs. The current budget shortfall is due to lower-than-projected revenues, as well as higher-than-expected expenses that came at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year.

To learn more, go to openbook.ccsd.net.