Less growth means less money for Douglas schools

Because of a steep decline in residential building permit tax revenues, several projects in the Douglas County School District have been removed from the five-year capital improvement plan.

Director of Business Services Holly Luna said as a result of the decrease in revenues since the 2005-06 fiscal year, the school district has had to reduce its expenses.

"You can't spend what you don't have," said Luna.

School district revenues depend on taxes from the motor vehicle privilege tax and the residential building permit tax.

While the motor vehicle tax is estimated to have a 3.5 percent increase this year, Luna said the forecast for the building permit tax is estimated to be $206,000 for the 2007-08 fiscal year - a 77 percent decrease in the actual $906,000 the school district received from building permit taxes in 2005-06.

"We have to decrease expenses," said Luna. "Four projects completely fell off the capital fund."

Until more revenue is in the school district's coffers, it's 'no' to storage at either of two elementary schools, to a new roof at Carson Valley Middle School, to a classroom pod addition at either Minden or Piñon Hills elementary schools, and to an addition at the district office.

Although the Army Jr. ROTC program starts in portable classrooms at Douglas High School in July as planned, there are no plans for the construction of permanent ROTC buildings in the near future.

One project on the capital improvement plan approved by the Douglas County School Board on Tuesday is a new roof for Meneley Elementary School.

"The price of getting things done, construction costs, have affected us too," said Luna.

The district's capital projects fund contained an appropriation of $650,000 to fix the elementary school's deteriorating roof. Although the same roof job at Jacks Valley Elementary School cost $570,900 last year, an increase in steel prices resulted in a winning bid of $746,150 for State Roofing to build a new roof for Meneley.

"What people don't know is that the Nevada State Legislature doesn't fund school maintenance," Luna said. "We rely on the motor vehicle tax and the residential building permit tax and if those go away, so does our revenue. We need to maintain what we have because our schools aren't getting any younger.

"We need to provide a decent and adequate place for children to learn. The people of Douglas County are going to have to support the school system."