By Selwyn Harris
According to census figures released by the Nye County School District NCSD , enrollment at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year is down 118 students compared to last year.
The drop means the district could lose more than $1.2 million from the state’s Distributive School Account DSA allocation, which generally is more than $6,500 per student.
NCSD Superintendent Dale Norton said the district will see the impact of the loss next year.
“We are funded the same as we were last year, however, rolling into next year’s budget, that’s when we are going to feel that $1.2 million. We are okay this year, but we are going to budget based on that less 118 for next year.”
In 2010, the district had to cut more than 70 positions to help balance the budget.
Last summer the district was forced to lay off an additional 57 staff members.
Earlier this year, all three school district unions agreed to concessions, which included a longevity STEP freeze in an effort to avoid additional layoffs.
STEP pay are regular increases in salary based on longevity.
Norton said at present, it is unclear if the district will have to lay off more district employees and faculty members to maintain a balanced budget. He said there is a ray of hope on the horizon.
“It depends on how the dollars come in. Under DSA, we have to consider that amount of money, but then we have to look at what the state tax revenue that is coming in and what are all the other revenues that are coming in. That has actually been on the increase a little bit. My hope is that we do not have to make any more cuts, but we will look at that as time rolls on,” he noted.
As the school year advances, there have been changes each month in the number of students attending classes.
From the beginning of the 2012 fall semester in late August, district officials noted that the district population fell by 118 students during the first month of school but a secondary count from Sept. to Oct. showed that enrollment dropped by 105 students compared to last year.
Norton said it appears that schools in southern Nye County are experiencing more classroom declines than schools in northern Nye County.
“Where we are losing students is in the Pahrump attendance area, and it is mostly at the middle school level. Rosemary Clarke is one of the biggest ones and I am not exactly sure what to attribute that to. We are stable or have had actual increases in some of our schools to the north, particularly Tonopah Elementary, where they gained 20 kids,” he said.
Rosemary Clarke saw a decrease of 57 students compared to last year’s count.
The percentage of attendance remained the same at 95 percent.
Pahrump Valley High School welcomed 41 new students this year.
Combined, both Hafen and Floyd Elementary schools lost 21 students.
Amargosa Valley School lost 10 students, while other schools in Nye County bounced back and forth in enrollment.
Beatty Elementary School had a decline of four students, but the high school gained two students.
Duckwater School has two less students while Gabbs is operating with nine fewer students this year.
At Round Mountain Jr. and Sr. High School, a total of seven students are off the attendance sheet, but the elementary school gained nine students.
Norton did note that some schools in the Pahrump Valley also showed some modest gains in student enrollment, while others didn’t fare so well.
“J.G. Johnson Elementary had a gain of 37 students, and Manse lost 30, but it may be due to students moving from one school to another,” he said.
Currently, 5,389 students are enrolled throughout the district.
A class size of 20 has over $130,000 dedicated to it. What’s the problem? This is enough to pay the teacher, plus still have $70,000 left for supplies, air conditioning, heating, etc. Send the kids home in the summer to save on energy costs and bring em back around September.
I have a hard time believing that the school officials are not aware of the economic conditions in Pahrump and how that would translate into an exodus of parents with school age children. They can’t afford to stick around and hope things get better. I suspect even more of the working age adults and their kids move out this next year.
It sounds like we can close down and lease out another school building and divvy up the kids among the remaining open schools. And trim staff accordingly. It’s not the responsibility of taxpayers to keep buildings open and school district employees employed as the need reduces for the buildings or the services of the staff. I expect the district to trim as needed.
Agreed, Mr. Lilly. It would save a lot of money to close the Far North schools; allow the Duckwater students to attend the Reservation school just up the road, and enroll the Gabbs kids in the online K-12 program with a head-teacher proctor. And it would save money to combine Hafen and Floyd into one campus, keeping the teachers and staff, but eliminating costs to operate and clean the building. Fuel costs would go up, as some would have to travel farther. But seeing as the buses are housed so far away from the schools, saving fuel costs doesn’t seem to be a priority. Public needs to rise up and attend school board meetings and demand to see the real cost sheets, the real bills, and demand the CFO be audited and /or replaced.
So what is the problem ? Less students means less teachers, less class rooms to heat, cool and light ! Less students means less staff and less busses. I do not see the problem !