LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Former Clark County School District Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie told 8 News Now on Friday that he was fired “without cause,” as Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo pledges to investigate the district over a potential budget deficit.
“I was terminated without cause,” Goudie told 8 News Now over the phone as new information came to light over the recent district shakeup.
Goudie told 8 News Now the issue stems back to teacher raises, which were finalized after the January 2024 budget deadline for principals and, therefore not included.
“We built the budget based on the information that we had available to us based on where we thought negotiations were,” Goudie explained.
“At the time, we did not have conclusive evidence and an agreed upon contract with Clark County Education Association,” he continued. “In order to add in every component that was agreed upon in December.”
However, CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita spoke on the issue during a news conference Friday, calling it one piece of a larger problem.
“There is a systematic level of incompetence and mismanagement that’s going on in CCSD,” Vellardita said. “And that the releasement of the CFO is basically a political statement.”
Vellardita also called for transparency, asking that students, teachers, and staff don’t have to bear the brunt.
“The burden of this error should not be placed at the school site,” Vellardita said.
After Vellardita said he spoke to the governor’s office Friday, Elizabeth Ray, spokesperson for Lombardo, released the following statement:
“Governor Lombardo is concerned by the recent operational and fiscal issues within the Clark County School District and Clark County School District Board of Trustees. To address these concerns, Governor Lombardo will use all of the state’s authority to investigate the school district’s budget and help determine corrective next steps.”
Interim CCSD Superintendent Brenda-Larsen-Mitchell also released the following statement Friday, apologizing for any confusion over a potential budget deficit.
“I would like to provide an update on recent challenges related to the release of school strategic budgets and apologize for any confusion and time taken away from supporting students and staff. A potential central budget deficit was identified during the District’s regularly scheduled accounting year-end close-out process, which typically concludes by mid-October. Although progress has been made, we are still unable to confirm whether a central budget deficit exists. As a team, we will make every attempt to absorb any confirmed deficit centrally with minimal impact to students and staff.
School strategic budgets were delayed, allowing time for confirmation, impact analysis, and corrected allocation calculations. Schools experienced changes to their strategic budgets due to enrollment changes and salary increases, including an approximate $5,700 increase to the average salary of licensed employees that was not reflected in the increases included in the Spring 2024 strategic budget allocation. Nevada state law prohibits the District from holding or directing schools’ carry forward funds. We have consistently communicated with principals who cannot absorb the changes that every effort will be made to provide assistance to those schools.
As we continue to analyze the budget systems and processes, we are actively working to identify and resolve all issues as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, District leadership continues working closely with principals, including principal meetings with me today, September 20, 2024. I remain committed to ensuring the stability and management of the District’s finances. Immediate efforts will focus on increasing collaboration, transparent communication, and effective systems to provide support to schools during their budgeting process.
I appreciate your dedication and unwavering support for our students and community.”
CCSD Trustee Isaac Barron issued the following statement late Thursday night after the announcement of Goudie’s departure.
Despite the challenges being reported, now is not the time to panic. The taxpayers and the state have [ensured] our schools are properly funded. I have great confidence the budget issues will be resolved. We will work diligently to ensure no community, school, teacher, and especially, no students will be left behind!
Nevada lawmakers did invest a record amount of money into schools last year, with CCSD receiving the bulk of it as the state’s largest school district.
Lombardo also signed Assembly Bill 157 into law, which directed the Legislative Counsel Bureau’s Audit Division to conduct an audit of several districts, including CCSD.
Deputy Chief Financial Officer Diane Bartholomew will serve in an interim capacity.