LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Clark County School District is facing a $20 million budget deficit, but the Las Vegas Valley is waiting to see what happens next.

FOX5 has more on the options CCSD can take, according to the person who oversaw the budget, former Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie.

Despite the apparently high budget deficit, the district still has money in the bank. But touching it could lead to more problems, according to Goudie.

His recent resignation brought the budget blunder to light.

He explains why the current state of CCSD has a lot to do with the state the district is in.

“By all measures, we are significantly underfunded in K-12 education in the state of Nevada,” Goudie said. He adds that Nevada is underfunded by more than $2 billion.

But in our area, the CCSD recently identified a potential central budget deficit of approximately $20 million.

Goudie explains that the district has options to dig itself out of the hole, such as cutting costs and tapping the $150 million central reserve fund.

But that could hurt the district’s bond rating. Think of it as tapping into your 401(k) early.

“There’s a possibility they could get into trouble,” Goudie said. “When I first arrived here in 2017, the district tapped into some reserves, and ultimately some challenges were experienced from a bond rating perspective.”

FOX5 wanted to know what the budget deficit means for teachers and students.

FOX5 recently received a letter from CCSD regarding a shake-up at Robert and Sandy Ellis Elementary School in Henderson, telling families that six teachers will be affected and shuffled to teach a different grade level, while others will will have the opportunity to move to other schools in the future. district.

The class size will therefore increase by three students, but the director is confident that the total class size will remain smaller than in previous school years.

Despite the changes, Goudie had this to say about what is happening to CCSD teachers.

“There should be no teachers who don’t have a job. There are plenty of vacancies. What matters is whether or not certain schools can maintain the number of teachers they have, and then distribute them, and then other teachers will be available for the schools that have significantly more vacancies,” Goudie said.

FOX5 has reported that several CCSD staffers have been shaken up because of the cuts.

Goudie explains why. “There may be schools that face a greater budget challenge than others and may not be able to cover all of their staff based on available funding,” Goudie said.

He says this is a director’s decision based on his budget and the way he manages it.

CCSD says the district will complete its fiscal year 2024 report on Nov. 1, and next year’s amended final budget in mid-December.

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