Fresh off cuts, CCSD wins award for budget

Impact of deficit issues on prize judging unclear

The Clark County School District, which this year has gone through multiple rounds of painful budget cuts to erase a $60 million deficit, has been honored by a worldwide school financial planning group for preparing an accurate and transparent budget.

The district was the only one in the state awarded the Meritorious Budget Award by the Association of School Business Officials International, a nonprofit that represents 30,000 school business professionals worldwide.

“The award is a strong indicator that helps show that the Clark County School District works to create an easy-to-read, accurate budget document that clearly communicates the district’s finances and helps further build trust with the community,” CCSD Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie wrote Wednesday in a news release announcing the award.

The district’s statement did not mention this year’s budget process, which wrapped up Dec. 14 with a final School Board vote, and officials declined to comment to the Las Vegas Review-journal about the issue. The final budget included

$47.9 million less in resources and $23.7 million less in expenditures than the previously approved budget for the 2017-18 school year.

It was not clear if the district’s financial struggles were considered in the judging, which can take three

SCHOOLS

which is funneled to Nevada schools after the state and local governments take a cut for administrative costs.

That tax has generated almost

$6.5 million since recreational sales kicked off July 1, and the state forecasts it will bring in over $56 million in revenue over the first two years of recreational sales.

The wholesale tax generated more than $974,000 in tax revenue in July, the first month Nevada dispensaries sold recreational marijuana. The monthly average wholesale tax revenue Nevada drew in between July 2016 and June 2017, before recreational sales began, was $309,514.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @Jamiemunksrj on Twitter.