Dear ECSD Families and Elko County Community,
Hello again. In my last update, I noted that you’d next hear from me in February; however, I wanted to clarify some questions and concerns we've received following the decision, made last Thursday, January 15, to pause spring intramural sports at all ECSD middle schools.
To be clear, this was a district-level administrative decision made in response to current-year conditions. It’s important to understand that some decisions are made without Board approval, while others, including those that will shape the 2026–27 fiscal year, will follow my recommendation to the Board later next month. While certain recommendations and Board actions can have a direct impact on the basic structure and essential operations of our schools, as well as on their educational delivery, not all do.
Much like the decision to pause intramurals, other proactive steps have already been taken to reduce expenses as we prepare for the next fiscal year. These include, but are not limited to, not filling multiple central office positions left vacant by retirements, implementing a freeze on most hiring decisions, ceasing non-essential travel supported by the general fund, and making key changes to our self-funded insurance plans. These steps were shared at the December 2 Board meeting as part of the Augmentation and Fiscal Health presentation. Additionally, I stated in my last update that district administration continues to review which positions need to be filled or whether teachers need to be transferred within schools—a regular annual procedure based on enrollment. The reality is that managing reductions is a regular part of district operations. These decisions are never easy, but they are necessary to ensure that we continue to provide quality instruction and support with the resources available to us.
In contrast, the work of the Budget Exploration Committee is broader in scope and will help guide the thought process behind eventual decisions that could impact core functions of our schools. The budget priority survey was also designed to help guide broader conversations about what matters most to our school community. While intramural sports ranked lower in priority for many participants, this feedback was not the sole factor in this decision. Still, it provides helpful insights as we consider future steps, even if those insights are difficult to hear.
Regarding MS Intramurals, while we have decided, for the time being, not to continue this programming in the structure and format we have become accustomed to, nothing prevents individual schools from creating other, equally meaningful opportunities in-house, made possible by the creative and thoughtful suggestions that have been proposed since the announcement. I encourage school leaders, students, and community members to work collaboratively to find solutions that remain meaningful and support our students, within our financial constraints.
I will continue to keep you updated as this work progresses. As always, thank you for your continued engagement and partnership.
Sincerely,
CJ Anderson
Superintendent