The next Carson City School Board meeting will take place Tuesday, May 27, 2025 beginning at 6 p.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room of the Community Center locate at 851 E. William St.

Note: While the meeting technically begins at 6 p.m., the first half hour will be spent in closed session to discuss labor relations with the district’s management representatives.

The public session will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Watch the meeting here:

Budget talks

The big ticket item on the agenda is the district’s budget for the 2025-26 school year, which includes multiple agenda items including:

Presentation of the budget preparation timeline and introduction of topics for the public hearing on the budget, which includes a brief discussion only
The revised Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the district for fiscal years 2026-2030
Voting on the final budget, which includes adjustments to the tentative budget, which will include the adoption of a resolution approving the final budget and transmittal letter

Additional budget numbers for us nerds:

According to the supplemental budget documents, the district is anticipating receiving a total of $83.96 million from the state for education funding, $155,000 from the federal government, and $1.06 million from local taxes.

The opening fund balance is budgeted to have $15.2 million, bringing, combined with debt service, a total of $114.71 in the General Fund for FY26.

Opening fund balances for FY24 and FY25 were $16.9 million and $17.39 million respectively; however, the final opening fund balance budgeted for 2026 is only $5.27 million. An additional $9.92 million is being added in a line item called “reserved opening balance (NPM)”, but it’s not immediately clear where that money is being transferred from. This brings the total opening fund balance to $15.197 million.

Total expenditures equal $96.06 million which includes $10.61 in the ending fund balance, $9.92 reserved NPM, $1 million for contingency, and $84.45 million in all expenditures.

The budget also includes over a dozen other funds which deal with expenditures and revenues such as federal grants, summer school programs fund, gifts and donations funds, state grant funds, and more.

In total, there is a deficit of $4.56 million, meaning there are more expenditures than revenue to cover their costs.

The ending fund balance will be utilized to cover the costs, bringing the ending fund balance net operating expenditures to 12.42%.

A corrective action is only required if there is less than 4% remaining.

Changes to the tentative budget include:

General fund revenue has a minor change in moving SB2312 funds from the general fund back to a special revenue fund, including moving the corresponding expenditures, which result in a net-zero change. Expenditures have been updated to include the most up-to-date staffing calculations.

The structural deficit currently sits at $3.4 million, “a slight improvement from the tentative budget,” according the agenda.

Special Education fund has changes in increased salary and benefit expenditures due to absorbing some positions that were previously grant funded in anticipation of grant funding reductions. “There is a lot of volatility surrounding traditional funding sources and we continue to monitor the situation,” the agenda stated.

Nutrition Fund 290 has an expected deficit due to lower revenues reflecting operations post-universal free meals and the discontinuation of Covid-era Supply Chain Assistance Funds. However, a transfer from the General Fund is not anticipated in FY26.

“With the new change coming off of universal free meals, a budget deficit is anticipated,” the agenda stated. “It will not result in a transfer from the General Fund as the Nutrition Fund has some reserves from the last couple of years that should cover any deficit. As the school year finishes and we will have a full year of data post universal free meals, this budget will be adjusted accordingly during the December amended budget.”

In December, another amended budget will be presented after the FY25 audit is complete which will include updated fund balance amounts, any projected enrollment adjustments, and adjusted expenditures “as necessary” according to the agenda.

Capital Improvement Plan

Capital Project Funds available for FY26-30 range from $1.76 million to $2.88 million. Available bond funds range from $9.57 million to $16.12 million for the same years.

Recurring project expenditures include yearly asphalt, roofing, refresh and asbestos management projects.

Projects budgeted for 2026 include landscaping upgrades across the districts, several upgrades to Carson High School, bathroom remodels at Carson Middle School, outdoor basketball court resurfacing at Empire elementary School, and more.

You can see the full budget in the agenda packet at the end which begins on page 28.

In other items:

Superintendent’s announcements include:

Introduction of 2024-2025 CHS student athletes confirmed to compete at the collegiate level
Recognition of the 2024-2025 CHS students who served on the Family Life Advisory Committee
Recognition of the 2024-2025 student school board representatives

The Family Life Advisory Committee has reviewed the health curriculum resources for the upcoming school year, and the board will vote on whether to approve them into the curriculum.

Trustees’ nominations of individuals to be recognized by the Nevada Association of School Boards (NASB) 2025 include will be discussed, and submission of nominations is due August 2025.

The nominees submitted for 2024 are as follows:

School Administrator of the Year – Mrs. Chelise Crookshanks & Mrs. Cheryl Richetta
School District Employee Making a Difference – Ms. Leticia Servin*** and Ms. Tata Sakelarios
District Level Administrator Impacting Student Achievement – Mr. Dan Sadler & Mr. Raymond Medeiros
NASB Director of the Year – Richard Varner
Veteran School Board Member – Lupe Ramirez
New School Board Member of the Year – Mr. Matt Clapham
Individual School Board Member of the Year – Mike Walker
Local Governance Team of the Year – Washoe School District
Friend of K-12 Public Education – Carson City Sheriff’s Office
Outstanding Media Award – Rocio Hernandez, Nevada Independent
Innovative Educator of the Year – Ms. Adrienne Wiggins
Board Secretary or Other Support Staff – Ms. Gina Heinz
Superintendent of the Year – Mr. Adam Young, White Pine County SD

***Indicates the winners selected for 2024

The board will also discuss canceling the July 8, 2025 board meeting since many staff will likely be on holiday.

Activities and Events:

Thursday, May 29, 2025, last day for Pre-K Students
Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Eagle Valley Middle School 8th Grade Commitment to Graduate, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 5, 2025, last day of school for students; minimum day schedule, students release at the following times:
- High Schools – 11:40 a.m.
- Middle Schools – 12 p.m.
- Elementary Schools – 12:40 p.m.

Thursday, June 5, 2025, Carson Middle School 8th Grade Promotion, Gym, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, June 6, 2025, Pioneer Academy Graduation, Carson City Community Center, 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 7, 2025, Carson High School Graduation, CHS Football Field, 9 a.m.