Editorial: School plan tosses ball to voters

Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

A panel of legislators made the right decision last week in tossing the volatile issue of school breakup back to the voters.

The Subcommittee to Study the Reconfiguring of School Districts Thursday rejected a proposed breakup of Clark County schools and, instead, favored a process in which school boards or residents could divide or consolidate districts throughout the state.

The lawmakers reviewed a consultants' study outlining options for Clark County schools. Deconsolidation advocates favor smaller districts which, they say, would be more responsive and less wasteful. Many residents are frustrated with the bureaucracy of the 180,000-student district and want a smaller, more neighborhood oriented organization.

It would have been arbitrary of the panel to divide the district into smaller parts, when the advocates have not reached a consensus on where to draw the lines. Many residents at Boulder City and Henderson want their own district and perhaps other communities may seek similar arrangements.

But deconsolidation is a tough nut to crack. Any district that aggravates racial or socio-economic divisions not only would encounter voter resistance, it could risk trouble in federal court.

Bonded indebtedness may be impossible to divide fairly. Districts encompassing new neighborhoods may find they can't afford new schools. Voters in older neighborhoods may not be thrilled at paying debts for new areas.

And which district will get the cash cows? Schools near casinos and industrial areas will enjoy high revenues, while residential districts, which rarely pay for themselves in terms of services, will be scrapping the bottom.

If supporters of smaller districts, after mulling over these roadblocks, still want to forge ahead, the panel will ask the full Legislature to establish a procedure for them.

This proposal makes sense. School breakups or consolidations must not be frivolous. A spur-of-the-moment idea could result in the state having to bail out bankrupt schools. But the recommendation doesn't close the door on district realignments.

Now it's up to the voters to decide what kind of districts will work best.