Washoe trustees approve most budget recommendations while pausing proposed police cuts

Washoe County School District trustees voted 5-2 May 13 to approve a set of staff budget recommendations and organizational changes aimed at narrowing the district's budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025-26, while pausing proposed cuts to school police staffing.

The measures approved include reorganizations in finance, information technology and communications; shifting 2.5 positions from the general fund to the Education Alliance fund; a 50% reduction to most central-office travel and training budgets; a $2.0 million reduction in budgeted electricity and natural gas; and funding two groundskeeper positions to replace field maintenance previously provided by the City of Sparks. Trustees left a proposal to delete four vacant school police officer positions off the table for now after extensive public comment and trustee questions.

Board action and why it matters

Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers and budget director Jeff Bozzo told trustees the district filed a tentative FY2025-26 budget showing a $6.5 million deficit and that changes in state revenue projections earlier in May had briefly increased the possible gap to about $19.3 million. "If we just loaded in the reduced state education fund revenues ... that would have resulted in a new deficit for the district of $19,300,000," Mathers said, then noted joint money committees voted to cover most of the state revenue change and brought the shortfall back to roughly the $9.7 million baseline the district had discussed earlier.

Tracy Moore, chief of school police, outlined a plan to delete four vacant sworn-school-officer FTEs, while reallocating remaining officers to what he described as data-driven middle-school beats. "We don't wanna make any compromise to safety," Moore said, adding the proposal would delete one motor officer position and one vacant K-9 allocation but keep an in-house canine if training made the dog dual-purpose. Trustees and the superintendent said they wanted more time to consider school safety tradeoffs; President Beth Smith urged caution and wider review.

Key details trustees approved

- Organizational changes for the offices of business and financial services, information technology and communications/public relations, including reclassifications aligned to FLSA and new leadership roles intended to support succession planning (staff: Doug Owen, Jeff Bozzo, Mark Mathers presented). - Move 2.5 Education Alliance positions from the general fund to the Education Alliance fund to save roughly $353,000 ongoing. - A 50% reduction in central-office non-school travel/training (estimated savings $329,000) while preserving certain teacher-training line items. - Reduce electric and gas budgets by $2.0 million based on current utility-rate trends. - Add two groundskeeper positions (annual cost about $124,000) to replace field maintenance the City of Sparks will no longer provide; a one-time $200,000 equipment purchase would come from current-year contingency.

What the vote did not decide

Trustees specifically paused the staff recommendation to delete four school police officer positions and related changes after public comment and trustee concern about safety and continuity. A motion to approve the staff package with a pause on school police staffing passed 5-2; trustee Diane Nicolette and Trustee Phoenix voted no on the motion as presented.

Context and next steps

Mathers emphasized the district relies on state funding for roughly 99% of its general fund and that the district must monitor final state budget actions, which are not official until signed by the governor. "If it is that bridge funding to get us through while we evaluate solutions in a more orderly methodical way, that is a legitimate use of fund balance," Mathers said when discussing the limited use of reserves.

Trustees asked staff to return with further analysis at upcoming budget workshops on May 27 and in June. Mathers and Jeff Bozzo said the district will continue to present options and staff recommendations and that trustees retain discretion to pause, approve or amend any item as details change.

Ending

Trustees framed the adopted package as an incremental, staff-recommended way to narrow the district's deficit while keeping most student-facing services intact, and they said further action could be required based on final state and federal budget outcomes. A separate, more deliberate discussion of school police staffing will be scheduled so trustees can weigh safety, coverage and resource tradeoffs with additional data and public input.