LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — This past year, Shanna Haynie was part of the Liliam Lujan Hickey Elementary School Organizational Team, also known as the SOT.

She has two children in primary school and said she wanted to become more involved in their education by learning how it works.

“This was a good way to find out how things work,” said Haynie.

SOTs include parents, teachers, support staff, community members, and high school students.

The SOT can provide input in the selection of a new director and vote for the School Operation Plan (strategic budget and school performance plan).

When their SOT group met on September 25, they were concerned about how the recent CCSD budget situation would impact their school budget.

Although they were willing to have a conversation about meeting the deficit, they were surprised when the director informed them of another major budget issue, a reduction in their At-Risk funding.

At-Risk funding is additional money that schools throughout the state’s Valley receive for students who are considered English language learners, special education students or children who simply need extra help to meet academic standards .

The exact amount each school receives varies from school to school.

The At-Risk funding does not contribute to the potential roughly $20 million budget shortfall that CCSD faces.

The combined drop in venture funds at Hickey Elementary is more than $200,000, according to Haynie.

She said they had to cover the shortfall with money from their transferred funds (or savings account) to ensure their children’s services were not affected.

“So frustrated that we are not being told these issues well in advance. We could have used that money for something else to help our students,” Haynie said. “Our funding was specifically hit by $200,000, which is a huge hit. And our school population didn’t drop like they predicted. It actually increased a little bit, but a school right near us, the high school, their student population dropped by at least 200, and yet the funds went up.”

“We wondered if the cuts to our At-Risk and English Learner funds were a state issue or some other budget issue created by former CCSD Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie,” said Jessica Jones, SOT chair at Hickey Elementary.

In a letter to the State Board of Education addressing CCSD budget issues, Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell acknowledged there were inaccuracies in the measurement used to calculate At-Risk funding.

“On or before January 15, 2024, pursuant to NRS 388G.680(1), the district prepared the required estimate based on information then available. However, it was discovered that the data for which students qualified for At-Risk funding was developed using free and reduced lunch eligibility instead of the GRAD score. This inaccuracy was corrected for the fall budgets, and the district has updated this information at openbook.ccsd.net.” , according to Larsen-Mithcell.

The GRAD score is a measurement the state uses to determine which students are most likely to drop out.

‘We will receive our budget in September. You don’t think you messed up in February or March, do you?’ Haynie said.

Haynie still wants to know how and why the wrong metric was used to determine At-Risk funding.

She and other SOT members sent a letter to the Nevada Department of Education demanding answers.

The department said they are reviewing the district’s explanation for the budget crisis and will respond accordingly.

KNV

KNV