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Published Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | 3:29 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.
Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes announced today he will cut 140 support employee positions in order to help the state trim an additional $275 million from its budget.
In a memo to Clark County School Board trustees and the senior administrators, Rulffes said that he was “saddened” to announce the “reduction in force.” The memo was obtained by the Sun.
The exact amount that will be saved by trimming the 140 positions -- mostly classroom aides -- is still being calculated, but district sources estimate it will save the district between $6 million and $7 million annually.
The positions would have paid using some of the nearly $18 million the district stood to receive in school improvement grant funds from the state.
But those funds are now gone, forfeited by the district as part of the latest round of budget cuts hammered out by the Legislature in Friday’s special session. The district had already been forced to trim about $60 million from its operating budget, with additional cuts of $133 million projected for the next biennium.
Some of the employees whose positions are cut could be placed quickly into existing support staff vacancies, of which there are more than 100, Rulffes said. The vacancies include bus aides and classroom assistants.
Doug McCain, president of the Education Support Employees Association, said, “I’m obviously very disappointed, but hopefully the cuts won’t go as deep as they’re suggesting.”
Additionally, the district is seeing significantly more retirements this summer than in prior years for all three employee groups — support, licensed personnel and administrators — which could mean the number of vacancies will continue to grow. Employees are retiring early in order to sign up with the state’s subsidized health benefits program. The eligibility window closes Sept. 1.
“That could help soften the blow” of today’s decision by the superintendent, McCain said.
“If there’s millions of dollars taken out of the budget, obviously something has to be done,” McCain said. “I hope that they put a lot of thought into it before they start cutting. We all know it takes a community to raise these kids. The cuts could have an adverse effect on that.”
Where are the administation cuts? Again with the classroom. The district is insanely top-heavy and they decide to cut far less expensive, far more valuable employees. This is rediculous! How many $100K+ salaried administrators would you have to cut to do the same cost reduction? When do any of the hundreds of front office administrators interact with the children . . . never. Rulffes does what politicians do, protect their own.
If they cut out all the Illegals going to Clark County Schools then I am willing to bet there would be no further cuts at all.
Simple way to solve the problem.
The problem is not WHERE the school district or CSN or UNLV are making cuts; the problem is that they are making cuts. Nevada children are being cheated in their education - from kindergarten through graduate school - and we will pay the economic and social price for decades to come. You get what you pay for in this world - and we make it very clear that we're not willing to pay much for our children or our future.
Yes, yes shoot the illegals - children and animals not excluded! That'll teach 'em, eh? Opps, we'd still be "teaching" them if we do that. So how do we exactly "cut out" all the illegals? Rent some buses (like maybe 200,000 of them) and bring them to the border? Let them roam the streets?
Wake up racist mongers - America is changing every day and these illegals are here to stay. Y'all need to confront your racist-hate mind-set. Throw open your brains and let's get down to business and figure out this crisis. A simple solution it isn’t - and no simple answer exists. Both McCain and Obama are for amnesty, as is most of the congress, as is most religious groups. In other words - we all need to deal with it, period!
Thanks to the superintendent for using using intellect and compassion in dealing with this problem. It is our problem. We need to it seriously for the sake of our future.
And I would like to say that I agree that many of the services intended for citizens of the United States (free education) are being sucked up, drained, and weakened by illegal peoples, and my comments come from experience and observation and not from an attitude of hate or racism. Interestingly enough sfiver's response reeked of hate.
Amnesty - for (in many case proudly) disregarding the laws of the land -I don't think so. But go ahead and keep yourself occupied with that dream. And yes, we Americans of all races will deal with it but not as it is rammed down our throats like bad medicine.
Personally I'm turning a dark shade of purple holding my breath for a teaching position in Clark County. I missed being hired by one week before there was a hiring freeze. Great timing eh? Administration being top heavy happens in every single district in the US. They didn't scratch their way to the top to be making a two digit paycheck. In the district that I just left (Arizona) the Supers favorite saying was "Let's cut a few thousand here and then we can put it in my retirement fund."
I think this district is lucky to have so many employees on the support staff, but cutting positions to be place in other paid positions? Is that really a sound monetary decision?
Just take away the hiring freeze for teachers so we can prepare for the next joyous year of teaching the future scholars of America.
I read online somewhere- I wish I could remember where-some suggestions for how to fix the budget. I kind of liked them and they really made a lot of sense. By the way, we can discuss illegals all day long- they are not going anywhere. Yes they may be eating up our system, but the last I checked they were not behind the budget cuts. The budget cuts are what matter right now. Okay here were the suggestions as best as i remember them.
1. Make all 12 month schools 9 month- the savings in the air conditioning bills alone for the summer months would save millions.
2. Of course cut the administrators. The first poster was right- we are sooooo top heavy
3. Make the school day longer and only go to school Monday through Thursday. Not operating the building on Friday would be big, not to mention the commute for the staff.
4. Cut all after school programs unless they are privately funded (I know that seems harsh but really, what matters most?) I also really think that if that was done, the private sector would step up.
5. Cut all programs in schools that are not academically necessary. That is rough but once again, what really matters here?