DCSD hires back employees

ZEPHYR COVE — Taking a conservative approach to the 2011-12 fiscal budget allowed Douglas County School District to hire back 29 of the 40 teachers who were told in the spring they would not have a job this coming school year.

The board on July 12 voted to reinstate the positions along with several classified jobs. Some classified employees also had their hours upped, which means they will qualify for benefits.

“We worked off the governor’s proposed budget in late January. We were hoping it was a worst case scenario,” Superintendent Lisa Noonan told Lake Tahoe News during a break in the meeting. “The Legislature approved more money than we planned for.”

Even though the Nevada Legislature meets every other year, the funding is one year at time. This means the district could be faced with more cuts in the following school year.

In other action at the meeting, Noonan gave the board members (Karen Chessell was absent) information to read about having an appraisal done at the shuttered Kingsbury Middle School at the lake.

At the special meeting July 25 at 3:30pm in Minden, the board will be asked to appoint Johnson-Perkins & Associates of Zephyr Cove to be the district’s appraiser. The state will pick a second appraiser per state law.

— Kathryn Reed