Editorial: Fair share argument cools off

Monday, May 3, 1999 | 2:25 a.m.

The researchers did confirm that UNLV was getting shortchanged. The disparity, though, was about $534 per student, not as large as the $3,000 per student inequity that UNLV officials had claimed initially. The disparity actually was very close to that projected by University of Nevada, Reno officials who had estimated the gap to be $483 per student.

The debate about the level of funding had focused on the differences between the two universities in the system and had almost ignored the community colleges. But one of the study's most significant findings was the size of the disparity that existed for the Community College of Southern Nevada. MGT of America, a Florida-based research organization, found that the funding gap for students at CCSN was $1,291.

UNLV President Carol Harter and Regent Steve Sisolak will have to eat crow for claiming the funding gap was $3,000 per student, but the fact remains that $534 per student at UNLV isn't chicken feed. In order to correct the funding gap throughout the state's university system, the Legislature would have to spend $24 million more a year for UNLV, CCSN, Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada Community College.

UNLV and CCSN are both growing and the needs of these institutions must be met by the Legislature. For instance, the report noted that enrollment has almost tripled at CCSN and increased by 59 percent at UNLV during the past 10 years.

Revenue projections for the state budget's next two years have been revised and it is estimated there will be an extra $105 million available. Budget shortfalls in Medicaid and other programs are expected to absorb most of this surplus. Still, it is imperative that as much as possible of the discretionary funds that are available should be provided to the institutions of higher education that have not been getting their fair share.

Funding for education can provoke impassioned debate. Throw in accusations of a regional disparity and you can generate a volatile situation in Nevada where North-South disputes can quickly stray from the facts at hand. Hopefully this independent study can restore some rationality to the equity debate.