Nampa’s school board has approved some money saving and revenue raising steps to fill about a $4.5 million shortfall. That budget hole was discovered last summer and blamed on accounting errors. The board approved recommendations Tuesday night from a special committee. They include selling district owned land, charging fees for afterschool activities and four mandatory furlough days for all classified staff.
The board has not yet declared a financial emergency. District spokesperson Allison Westfall says they don’t know if they can. Westfall says that’s because of changes caused by last month’s repeal vote of the Students Come First education laws.
“You know it’s not clear,” she says. “They heard a report from our attorney who had looked at the information. And the board asked the administration to check with the State Department of Education to look at that old law that’s now new again because of the election, to see if we meet that criteria.”
An emergency declaration would open the door to more cost saving measures, such as district-wide layoffs. Next week the board is expected to decide if the district should ask Nampa voters to approve a supplemental levy.
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