DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. – Facing a $4 million shortfall in the current fiscal year, the Douglas County School Board (DCSB) is holding a special meeting to figure out next steps. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 7, at 4 p.m. in the Minden Airport Training Room.

DCSB is also facing a structural deficit of $5.2 million for next year.

The trustees will hear from Superintendent Frankie Alvarado on how to survive the current financial situation, and possibly take action on these two agenda items:

  • The Board of Trustees will review and take possible action to implement a Reduction in Force (RIF) for classified and classified management employees due to a lack of work or lack of money.
  • The Board of Trustees will consider and take possible action to formally declare a state of Severe Financial Emergency based on a determination that the district meets specific statutory conditions, such as a general fund ending balance of less than four percent of actual expenditures or the inability to meet payroll and debt obligations. Following their action on this matter, the District must notify the Department of Taxation and the Committee on Local Government Finance to initiate a mandatory plan of corrective action. This process may include state-level oversight and technical assistance to stabilize the district’s fiscal health and protect educational operations.

An agenda item that isn’t scheduled for a vote is a possible consolidation of schools to save money. This is a discussion item only:

  • The administration will present school consolidation scenarios based on enrollment trends, facility use, and a two-year budget reduction plan to ensure long-term fiscal solvency. This includes the financial implications of each model and the potential to capture enough savings to reach net-zero in our General Fund Ending Fund Balance by the end of Fiscal Year 2027. The Board is asked to review these models and identify which scenarios merit further development and community engagement. No formal action will be taken during this meeting. 

During their last meeting on December 18, the Board voted to deny wage increases for the transportation department due to current finances. They also heard from Executive Director of HR, Jeannie Dwyer, about the DCSD’s tentative agreement with the Douglas County Professional Educators Association for 2025-2027, which would cost the district $920,000. She said they’ve been using the wrong salary schedule for two years. The Association and District will reconvene discussions in February.

If the $920,000 increase is approved, some trustees said the Nevada Department of Taxation would think DCSD is “being disingenuous.”

The Department of Taxation closely manages school district budgets to ensure they are being fiscally responsible with the funds they receive through property taxes and state funds.

Over the last two years, the District reduced 31 classified positions. There has also been a loss of 1,071 students in Douglas County since 2017, which decreases revenue received per student from the State.

Some feel the trustees took their eye off the ball when a new Board was elected in 2022 when they concentrated on national issues and not what was happening in Douglas County. One move they made by changing their bylaws has now resulted in Douglas County being excluded from applying for many grants because of their ban on “non-normal” pronouns, since transgender people are a protected class.

Members of the public are asking the District to seek ways of increasing revenue, including attracting South Lake Tahoe, California, students to Whittell and Zephyr Cove schools, and billing Medicare for services the District offers to students that can be covered (speech and other therapies). They are asking the District to utilize untapped revenue streams and ensure schools with IEP students receive all of the funding entitled to (IEP is an Individualized Education Program for K-12 students with disabilities.

For instructions on participation and for a full agenda, visit HERE.