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Lower Enrollment Hurts CCSD's Bottom Line

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There are fewer kids than expected in the Clark County School District.

Projections for the year that is ending – 2015/16 – were for roughly 323,000 kids. At the end of 2015, enrollment was almost 318,000. And during the first quarter of 2016 it went down even further, to 316,000.

Why is this important? Because Clark County’s budget is based in part on per-pupil funding. If you have fewer students, you will get less funding.

Clark County School District Chief Financial Officer Jim McIntosh says that the reason for the enrollment downturn is that more students are going to charter schools.

He also says that many parents have enrolled their children in private schools in anticipation of payment via the Education Savings Accounts. But courts have put that plan on hold while the Nevada Supreme Court looks into the constitutionality of the law.

McIntosh stressed that CCSD has not lost money - or students. Their student population has grown. It just hasn't grown as much as they had project

So, how do you budget when your projections are off by $12 million?

Jim McIntosh, Chief Financial Officer, Clark County School District

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Carrie Kaufman no longer works for KNPR News. She left in April 2018)