Dowd Explains DSA cuts at CCSD Budget Meeting

  by Rachel Dahl —  The Churchill County School District budget committee met Thursday night to discuss potential cuts to the 2019-20 district budget that would bring expenditures in line with reductions in the per pupil allocation that comes to Churchill County. CCSD is slated to receive $6,929 per pupil next year instead of the current $7,223. That reduction would correct a mistake made in the teacher allocation formula that led to the overpayment of $2.25 million to CCSD. Assumptions have been that the “correction” would be phased in over the next four years, lessening severe effects to the district of a one-time repayment. In a meeting tense with emotion Phyllys Dowd, director of business services for CCSD, explained that a calculation error was made for several years by the Nevada Department of Education which included Oasis Academy charter school enrollment in the CCSD enrollment numbers used in the formula that calculates the Distributive School Account or the DSA. This miscalculation led to an overpayment to CCSD, as well as Oasis Academy Charter School. Elko County and Carson School Districts were affected by the same miscalculation, as well as the charter schools in both those districts While the mistake was discovered by Dowd in January of 2016 as she served on a Department of Education committee, the overpayments have continued through this school year. “I’ve talked often about how that error was made,” said Dowd, “and why we use the ending fund balance to make our operations work.” Dowd has continued to serve on a working group at the DOE along with the superintendent of education and the state finance director. She said the committee has operated “under the assumption that the correction would be phased in over four years.” “Now those people are not there, they have all resigned, the staff has no leadership and they are unsure of their authority,” said Dowd, “this is crucial to our funding.” A year ago, during the budgeting process, she said the expectation was there would be a $200,000 reset that would be offset by an increase in funding at the local level by sales and property tax increases. “We did not expect the entire correction to happen all at once.” Current staff at the DOE indicate they are not aware of any discussions surrounding a phase-in of the correction and say they do not have statutory authority to implement a phase in. Megan Hanke, a management analyst in the Business Services Support Division of the DOE, stated that a bill would have to be put forward and approved by the legislature in order for the DOE to incorporate such a mechanism. A letter has been sent, signed by officials in all three school districts and the three charter schools, to the Nevada Legislature Senate Committee on Education explaining the history of the issue and asking the legislature to provide relief. As in times past, the district employees and students are faced with fear and unknowns. Because the CCSD budget is due to the state by April 30th, the school board will discuss and vote on the tentative budget this Tuesday, April 9th. The board packet can be accessed online at April 9, 2019 Board Packet and includes the recommendations gathered in the committee meeting, including the proposed cuts presented at the meeting. Board member Carmen Schank urged members of the committee and the public to submit any ideas they have that may help bring the budget in line. “If you don’t bring us anything,” said Schank, “if we don’t have any other options, then it will be these cuts. It’s kind of up to you guys.” The budget committee members at the meeting were: Gaylene Drinkut, Elena Marsh, Ozzie Henke, Kenny Mitchell, Phil Pinder, Carmen Schank, Amber Getto, Kimi Melendy, Keith Boone, Summer Stephens, Phyllys Dowd, Derild Parsons, a representative from the Parent Involvement committee, Doug Drost, and Kevin Lords. The Fallon Post will continue to report on this issue and post stories on the committee meeting discussions, budget issues in generals, and the discussions held at the board meeting on April 9th. Please feel free to submit comments and story ideas to [email protected].