LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The threat of potential layoffs may no longer be hanging over Clark County educators, but questions remain about what happens next for employees already caught up in Clark County School District's surplus process.
Last week, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo backed an emergency regulation aimed at providing temporary relief to school districts facing budget pressures because of declining enrollment.
CCSD had been facing a $51.6 million budget reduction for the 2026-27 school year due to declining student enrollment and increased employee compensation.
Before the emergency action, CCSD said it was preparing to enter a surplus process due to the loss of positions for an estimated 360 licensed professionals, 190 support professionals and 27 administrators.
The district now says there is no need to eliminate positions this school year.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean every employee will remain at their current school.
CCSD has said some employees could still move work locations because of enrollment shifts, a process the district described as typical for this time of year.
Channel 13 has asked CCSD how many employees had already received surplus notices before the emergency action and what happens to those employees now. We also asked whether those notices are being rescinded or whether some employees could still be reassigned.
On Tuesday, a district spokesperson told Channel 13 it is looking into our inquiry.
CCEA responds
Clark County Education Association President Kristan Nigro welcomed the emergency action and said the threat of potential layoffs is no longer an immediate concern.
“The best thing is that the layoffs that were potentially going to take place are no longer a threat at this moment,” Nigro said.
But questions remain about whether enrollment changes could still lead to staffing adjustments at individual schools.
“What we know right now is that we’re working with the district to try to get some answers,” Nigro said. “There may be some adjustments in some of the schools just because of the enrollment count and that’s where we are at at the moment.”
Nigro said enrollment is not the same at every campus.
“We’re finding that some sites do have more enrollments and then other sites have less,” she said.
CCEA is now working with the district as it sorts through those differences.
“They’re working to rectify the different budgets and be able to understand where enrollment is at each site, and so that’s kind of where we’re in this pattern,” Nigro said. “But I will say this … CCEA is engaged with the district on a daily basis looking for how we’re going to settle this to make sure there is as little disruption in the classrooms as possible.”
How are enrollment numbers determined?
Enrollment is an important part of what led to the budget problem in the first place.
Under Nevada's per-pupil funding model, lower enrollment means less funding than anticipated. The emergency regulation temporarily allows the Nevada Department of Education to use the enrollment figures approved during the 83rd Legislative Session rather than the lower enrollment counts that would otherwise be used under state law.
According to CCEA, CCSD first projects how many students it expects will be enrolled. During the school year, Nigro said, an actual student count is conducted to establish enrollment at individual schools.
Channel 13 has asked CCSD how it gathers and calculates its actual enrollment, how often those numbers are updated and how much lower actual enrollment came in this year compared with the district's projection.
What happens next?
CCEA said a district-coordinated surplus meeting is on the schedule, but Nigro said it is currently under review as the union and district wait for more answers.
The emergency action is temporary and lasts 120 days, giving school districts time to adjust while state leaders work toward a longer-term solution.
CCSD has said future budget adjustments will still be necessary to account for lower student enrollment.
