Washoe trustees direct FY27 budget that excludes Matter Academy impact, approve $5.7M reduction plan

The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Jan. 27 to direct the superintendent to prepare the FY2026–27 budget without assuming enrollment losses from Matter Academy and to adopt a $5,727,558 budget reduction plan focused on central-office and nonacademic savings.

The action followed a multi-hour presentation by Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers, Deputy Chief Jeff Bozzo and Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Owen that laid out two enrollment scenarios and a tiered reduction plan. Mathers told trustees the district originally estimated an $18.4 million shortfall last fall and had already reduced that figure by $11.1 million; the remaining deficit depended largely on whether the district counted the roughly 733-student impact of Matter Academy this year. Staff said updated information and litigation-related permitting delays make Matter Academy’s opening more likely in August 2027, not August 2026, allowing the district to shift that…