Miller disappointed with Raggio’s criticism of school funding plan

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997 | 4:23 a.m.

"If we don't catch up to the rest of the nation and the world in the area of educational technology, this Legislature will be taking a huge step backward - a step toward the 19th Century, not the 21st," Miller said Tuesday.

The Democratic governor said the Republican majority leader knows Nevada has slipped to 32nd in the nation in classroom technology, and lawmakers can help students by improving that status.

Or legislators "can condemn them to a second-rate education and a second-rate future," Miller said. "It would be unfortunate if Sen. Raggio leads the Legislature to the latter choice."

During a Senate Finance hearing Monday, Raggio, R-Reno, complained about the computers, salaries and accountability programs as state schools chief Mary Peterson presented Miller's plans for K-12 education spending.

Miller proposed spending $43.8 million over the next biennium for computers - $35 million for "one-shot" funding and $8.6 million for maintenance and training - to start a project that would lead to five computers in each classroom.

But the committee heard that the money is just the down payment for a program that will actually cost $175 million and take six years to achieve.

"If the state's responsibility in the next six years is $175 million, that's $70 million in each of the next two bienniums," Raggio said.

State Budget Director Perry Comeaux said the governor plans to seek funding for the "computer-in-every-classroom" plan by approaching the business community for help and requesting federal support.

"The governor believes we can afford to make that investment," Comeaux said. "The $35 million does not commit us to future money. The additional investment can be made as we can afford it."

But Raggio remained unconvinced.

"I'm not going to be a party to promising the people of this state something that sounds good, but we are not able to fund," he said.

Raggio said he'd rather see the money spent on other areas of education that are badly lacking, like improving academic standards.

"As long as we teach to this level, that's all our children will learn," he said. "If we're going to keep up with the other advanced countries, we're going to have to increase our standards. I'd rather put more money into this rather than computers."