Carson City board confronts budget shortfall; social workers and other positions flagged for possible cuts

The Carson City School District board spent extensive time March 10 reviewing budget assumptions that show declining enrollment and diminishing grant funds are producing a projected deficit for next fiscal year. Superintendent A.J. Fuelling presented a 'tighter' reduction scenario that would lower an initial $7.4 million shortfall to about $3.65 million through position reductions, program adjustments and other measures.

Fuelling warned trustees that per-pupil funding increases were negligible and that projected enrollment declines — about 100 students next year in the district’s forecasting model — will reduce revenue by roughly $650,000. He told the board the district’s reserve balance is approximately $18.5 million but said continuing to run large deficits would deplete reserves in coming years.

Among proposed adjustments, staff identified a potential reduction of the district’s social worker program: 12 FTE, an annual cost of roughly $1.3 million. Multiple public commenters and staff called for retaining those positions. Teacher Lindsey Bly told trustees, "They are truly a lifeline for the students, for their families, and for the teachers and our administration," urging the board to "find a way to keep our social workers at every single school site." Senior Madison Crozier also told the board social workers had helped her through family illness and a campus assault, saying, "Social workers are not a luxury, they are in need."

Fuelling explained that the social worker program had been sustained largely through successive grants and that grant funding has diminished. "We were able to find federal grants, and then that federal grant went away," he said. District staff and trustees discussed alternatives such as contracting community partners to provide tier‑3 services and the possibility of moving some services to contractors; staff noted that contractors and partners can support some high-need interventions but do not fully replicate having a social worker on-site daily.

The superintendent presented other savings in special education contractor hours (estimated $750,000) and district and school staffing adjustments (including 4.12 general-fund FTE reductions from TOSA positions, multiple classroom teacher adjustments and one administrative assistant on the tighter scenario). Fuelling said the cumulative adjustments would lower the projected deficit toward the range trustees had signaled as their target but emphasized more work remains.

No final staffing reductions were approved March 10. Trustees requested more detail and asked staff to continue exploring grant opportunities, contractor supports, and targeted reductions while trying to minimize impacts to students and staff. The board expects a tentative budget discussion at the April meeting and a final budget vote in May; Fuelling said staff will engage employee associations and attempt to place affected staff where possible.

Key numbers presented: district reserve ~$18.5 million; social worker program 12 FTE ≈ $1,300,000; initial deficit scenario ≈ $7.4 million reduced to ≈ $3.65 million under proposed reductions.

Next steps: staff to return with more detailed options and implementation plans as the district moves from tentative April budget discussions toward a final May budget decision.