Carson board to discuss school budget Tuesday

With less money coming from the state per pupil and fewer students enrolled, the Carson City School District is looking at a $3.3 million reduction in funding for the next school year, said Superintendent Richard Stokes.

"We have this double whammy," he said. Enrollment dropped by 350 students and funding was cut by $180 per pupil.

He will meet with school board members Tuesday to discuss possible ways to reduce costs.

"We'll do like we've always done," he said. "We'll look at the number of students we have to figure out how many teachers and staff we need."

Along with the decrease in per-pupil funding, from $6,228 to $6,048, the Legislature also relaxed expectations for teacher-to-student ratios.

First and second grades went from a 15 to 1 ratio, to 18 to 1, Stokes said. Third-grade classrooms can now have

21 students per teacher, rather than 19.

All other grades can have a 25-to-1 ratio.

Stokes said he will look for board input, but no drastic plans are yet being discussed, such as closing a school or changing calendars as was discussed last year.

"We're going to try to do our best to keep programs, but we'll take a look at how we're staffed and try to be really conservative in how we do things," he said.

Restrictions on after-school building use and field trips will likely continue, he said.

"We've also put off buying new textbooks and buses," he said. "We'll evaluate to see if we can put that off much longer."

Other items to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting include:

• Possible action on letter of intent regarding "Race to the Top" grant application.

• Discussion and possible action regarding a rollover bond for the 2010 election.

• Approve calendars for the upcoming school year.