GINA B. GOOD / PVT The body language of, from left, School Board President Kevin Pape, Superintendent Rob Roberts and Ray Richie, chief financial officer for the school district, show the strain of working with budget constraints. Advertisement

When asked at the May 20 public hearing if reductions in pay, reduction of days worked and step increases for longevity would be considered to bring back more teachers, Nye County School District Superintendent Rob Roberts said those issues are up to the unions involved, as teachers and other personnel had negotiated contracts with the district.

However, Roberts also said the district office employees not represented by unions would voluntarily take the same salary cuts as teachers and other unionized workers.

District wide, if teachers and other union workers take a 1 percent pay reduction, $381,000 would be saved -- enough to fund six jobs. A 3 percent pay reduction would result in saving 18 positions and a 4 percent reduction would save 24 jobs.

Each furlough day, taken by all the employees in the district, would generate a savings of $199,000, which would save three jobs.

While Ray Richie, chief financial officer for the district, went over figures showing how pay reductions would save teaching jobs, the budget committee did not consider the figures, as they are not involved in negotiating with school employees' unions.