LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Clark County School District budget adjustment is hitting Helen Marie Smith Elementary hard, with the school's music program already identified for cuts.
The district is cutting $21.9 million from its budget, stemming from lower-than-estimated enrollment numbers and higher employee costs. For Helen Marie Smith, it marks the third budget cut the school has experienced in recent years.
District numbers show enrollment at the school has steadily dropped from 507 students in the 2021-22 school year to 348 last school year.
The school's principal sent a letter to families saying the enrollment drop and the resulting budget adjustment could mean increased class sizes, changes to some classroom assignments, and adjustments to current programs or services.
The music program is one already identified for cuts. Parent Dona Dines, whose son Zihahn is a fifth-grader at the school, said the loss is being felt by students.
"So many kids are like, when is our choir coming back, like when are we going to sing again? We can't afford it," she said. "I was just sitting at my desk, like, this is crazy."
The principal says the school is appealing the cut to the music program.
Dines joined the school's School Organizational Team — the advisory group that contributes to key operational and academic decisions — and said the budget situation raised immediate concerns.
"After a while, when you start looking around, you're like, does anyone else see an issue? Because I see a big issue."
She came to Helen Marie Smith from the charter school world, where she said collaboration between parents and staff helped reduce the burden on teachers. She is now suggesting more fundraisers for individual schools and more parent volunteers to help staff being asked to do more with less.
On the question of how the district funds schools, Dines said the burden shouldn't fall on everyday families.
"I think there should be another way that we can collect the money without putting the burden on just the regular folks out here that are still trying to survive?"
When asked how, she said: "You know, you gotta get creative."
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The district is also working to prevent mid-year cuts.
CCSD chief financial officer Justin Dayhoff said the district is proposing a bill that would base school budgets on enrollment numbers from October 1 of the previous school year or the three-year enrollment average — whichever is higher.
"If we were to go to a previous year count, we would be able to make all the adjustments that we would need to do in the spring cycle, which would give folks time to plan," he said. "Not only does it avoid mid-year disruption, it would reduce the number of times we'd have to do a surplus to once per year."
Dayhoff said the proposed bill would also account for enrollment increases at schools.
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