The Clark County School District uses a computer program that’s older than its high school seniors to manage business functions such as tracking employees’ time and attendance.

That’s why school officials have been intensifying their calls for a new human capital management system — a mouthful of a term describing a program they say is key to successfully implementing the state-mandated reorganization. The problem: Money.

Purchasing, adopting and operating a new system could cost the district anywhere from $36 million to $45 million over 10 years, based on previous vendor estimates, said Dan Wray, the school district’s chief technology officer. The district estimates it would need $17 million up front to begin the licensing and implementation process.

Even the consultant hired by lawmakers to help with the reorganization, which shifts budget and decision-making powers to schools, has advocated for a system upgrade.

“This is not a talking point,” Tom Skancke, president and CEO of TSC² Group, said earlier this year. “The crisis is here.”

The existing system is more than 22 years old and a patchwork of manual workarounds, which lack efficiency, Wray said. It’s also programmed in common business-oriented language — otherwise known as COBOL — that’s becoming obsolete. The current, text-based system boasts black screens and green type.

The district wants a modernized system that could serve as a clearinghouse for all information regarding employees, from recruitment to payroll, Wray said. A new system would save employees untold hours of time and lead to better data reporting because a few clicks of a button could generate results for inquiries about school budgets, employee vacancies and recent hires.

“(The goal) is really to have that single repository so we can have enhanced reporting abilities without having to go through so much manual labor in our human resources area,” Wray said.

So where does the district propose getting that money? Carson City.

The school district included the $17 million initial cost in its fiscal note attached to Assembly Bill 469, which would codify the reorganization regulations and likely end any attempts to halt the process. The district also has issued a request for proposals for a new system. All vendor applications are due April 28.

Despite the appearances of moving forward, there’s no guarantee lawmakers will heed the district’s call for funding.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, a sponsor of AB469,  said the funding for a human capital management system is a separate issue from the reorganization and, therefore, shouldn’t be attached to the bill.

“I don’t believe we will move forward with that being attached to that bill because the bill is simply codifying what they are already going to do under reorganization,” he said.

Assembly Republican Leader Paul Anderson, another sponsor of AB469, echoed Frierson’s hesitancy to bundle the computer program’s cost with the reorganization bill. But Anderson said he supports the district’s effort to replace its antiquated system and isn’t necessarily opposed to legislative funding help if there’s money available.

“Where that money comes from, I don’t have an answer for that,” he said. “It will not hold up the bill.”

AB469 cleared the Assembly on a 40-2 vote Friday and moved on to the Senate, where it’s expected to face little resistance. Days earlier, the bill’s fiscal note garnered discussion during a Community Implementation Council meeting. The CIC serves in a capacity similar to a board of directors, shepherding the district through the massive reorganization effort.

CIC Chairman Glenn Christenson said securing funding for a new system should be a legislative priority this session.

“It’s difficult because you have a lot of pressure pushing money into the classroom,” said Brian Knudsen, a principal at BP2 Solutions, who has been helping with the reorganization effort. “When it comes up that you need a business system, it’s really hard to justify that.”

But Knudsen said the need is dire, and an upgrade would help the district function more efficiently. He’s hopeful that legislators will listen and help this year, given the impassioned and frequent pleas from school leaders, trustees and those involved in the reorganization effort.

“This is a legitimate reason for funding for CCSD,” he said.

School officials anticipate narrowing down the vendor finalists in June and, pending funding,  would seek approval from the board of trustees to move forward in late July or early August, Wray said.

Michelle Rindels contributed to this story.

Feature photo caption: The Clark County School District administrative offices on Monday, Jan 16, 2017. Photo by Sam Morris.