School Zone is a weekly column written by the Washoe County School District trustees and administration about key issues and noteworthy news for parents, teachers and students.
As we continue into 2010 marked by an economy where we have learned to live with less, we face a considerable reduction in K-12 funding. During the last eighteen months, we have had to reduce spending and use precious reserves totaling $47 million dollars to make up for lost revenues.
These cuts have spanned two budget years, and now it appears we are going to have to do it for a third year. However, if we want to do what is best for our students (and we do), then we must stay focused on educational reform for Washoe County School District.
The Board of Trustees will work hard to shield schools and classrooms from the effects of any budget cuts for as long as possible. As folks might have heard, we have been proactive and introduced a spending freeze that impacts central office and district departments the greatest. My fellow trustees and I believe that any saving we can achieve now will become cuts we do not have to make later. We want to be proactive in saving money.
I understand the fiscal plight of the state; these are difficult times for us all. However, I do not want further reductions to jeopardize the board's aggressive reform agenda. The trustees want to measurably improve graduation rates, increase support to teachers and principals and more effectively engage parents.
The district rapidly is creating a new strategic plan. We are gathering input from the community, teachers and parents amongst others. We are analyzing data and prioritizing our dollars.
Through the use of our strategic plan and a commitment to all of our students to assure them a quality education, we will make some hard decisions. We will be creative and innovative in the face of unpleasant fiscal realities.
I consider our schools, principals, teachers and support professionals who do the important everyday work within the walls of our schools as the muscle necessary to keep the educational framework moving forward.
Although it will be agonizing and frustrating, as dollars shrink, we will make the right decisions to fund the heart of education. We are committed to achieving our goal of having all students graduate from high school prepared to be successful in the world of work or college.
Ken Grein is a member of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees.
