Washoe County Schools To Increase Class Sizes

Unions representing employees working for the Washoe County School District (WCSD) have agreed to concessions that will cut about $11 million from an estimated $33 million needed to balance the district's shrinking budget. To keep teachers in the classroom rather than in the unemployment line, the agreement will freeze pay and institute two furlough days that were previously paid professional development days. This will not, however, eliminate the need to reduce the total number of teachers. To add to the savings, senior management will take five furlough days and Superintendent Heath Morrison said he will be taking ten.

Accounting for the remainder of the shortage will come in various ways. At a Board of Trustees meeting on April 6, Morrison outlined a plan that includes staff reductions, class size increases, and borrowing from contingency funds. Some of the specifics include...

• $2 million on utilities
• $2 million less for textbooks
• $2.5 million cuts to central services
• $2 million by increasing class size in grades 1-3 by 2 students

A variety of lesser cuts will add up to the $22 million needed after $11 million in union concessions. The class size increase will result in the loss of 94 teachers. Many of these positions will become vacant through retirements and an incentive plan intended to prompt some teachers to leave. Others may see the handwriting on the black board and seek employment elsewhere without further inducement. Even with all these measures, there is no guarantee against layoffs should it become necessary to stay within what's left of the district's money.

Sources: Washoe County School District, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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