School officials to Berkley: We need more money

Friday, Aug. 20, 1999 | 4:07 a.m.

If Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., wants to make Clark County School District officials happy she will return to Washington, stop by the U.S. Mint, pick up a couple of grocery bags full of money and express them to local educators for underfunded programs.

Berkley got an earful Thursday during a round-table discussion she organized with Las Vegas school officials. Topics such as funding for pre-school and after-school activities and teacher hirings were discussed.

In almost every instance, the conversation ended with "we need more money for this."

"There is not enough money in the U.S. Mint to provide for all of the needs of this school district," Berkley, a former university regent, said. "My job is to remain proactive and do what I can to help. I campaigned on an issue that education is a No. 1 priority. I want to leave a legacy that was good for education."

Some of the needs school officials brought up dealt with transportation for pre- and after-school activities, additional busing and more technology in education.

"Every time we discuss additional academic courses (for before, during and after-school), the discussion always comes down to financing," said Pamela Hawkins, principal of Western High School, site of Thursday's round table. "Who will help supervise these programs, how will we get them (students) home?"

Kay Carl, assistant superintendent of elementary education, said: "We need more funding for preschool programs. We had 26 (such) programs this summer that (provided) readiness skills. We had to scratch to find the funding (for it)."

Clark County School Board Trustee Susan Brager noted that to improve even little things, such as extending bus-riding privileges from those who live two miles or more from their assigned schools to children who live 1.5 miles from their schools, is costly.

"It's a lot to expect a first grader to walk (so far) to school," she said. "But, to get that (busing) down to 1.5 miles would cost $13 million more."

Superintendent Brian Cram said that hiring quality teachers is always a task.

"We need every teacher we can find," Cram said, noting that 2,000 new teachers were hired last year and more than 1,500 were hired this year.

"If there is some free money I'd like to see it used for comprehensive training in basic skills (for teachers)," Cram said, noting that the university system sometimes trains teachers different from the way school districts need them to be instructed.

Assistant Superintendent Phil Brody, the chief technology officer, said too many technology programs are funded as one-shot deals, and that, he said, needs to change, especially if local schools are to keep pace with other areas.

"Technology changes so rapidly we have to come to grips with the cost," he said. "One issue is to fund (technology) as a recurring cost in the budget."

It was noted by school officials that to replace outdated technology every five years would cost $17 million and that of the $450 million in federal technology money, Nevada gets just $2 million. School officials said that is unfair when you factor in that the Clark County School District is the eighth-largest district in the nation.

Berkley noted that with an $800 billion tax cut bill on the floor of the House, school officials may have to face the harsh reality that not only may there not be additional money for funding good projects, but some of them may get cut back.

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