Democrats resist class-size move

Tuesday, May 4, 1999 | 3:09 a.m.

"Weakening our class-size reduction law is absolutely the wrong way to go," said Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas.

Flexibility in the use of the money has been proposed in SB466, heard last week in the Senate Finance Committee. The bill would allow all class-size reduction money to be used for remedial programs rather than class-size reduction exclusively.

Democratic leaders say they also are opposed to the idea of folding the class-size reduction money into one large public education account, as has been proposed by Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, said she has been assured that the proposal is not intended to undermine the program now in place in at-risk kindergartens and in the first, second and third grades.

But, she said, "We have more accountability in our class-size program with two separate accounts."

The comments from Democrats come as the joint Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance subcommittee on public education prepares to make final decisions on Wednesday regarding the two-year, $3.6 billion public schools budget.

The budget includes the class-size reduction program, which would cost $83 million to continue in the first year of the budget and $87 million in the second.

The program, phased in during the past decade, has reduced class sizes to 16 pupils to 1 teacher in some kindergartens and in the first and second grades, and to 19 to 1 in the third grade. The Legislature, in expanding the program to the third grade in 1997, allowed for the first time some flexibility in the use of the money by allowing districts at their discretion to provide remedial programs for third graders.

A handful of districts took advantage of the alternative, providing reading remediation to targeted children this school year.

The class-size program has been controversial because of the cost and continued questions about its effectiveness.

Although there has been no move to reduce funding for the controversial program this session, there have been efforts to allow more flexibility in how the money is used.

Elko County School District officials this session have sought permission to use the money to establish ratios of 22 students to 1 teacher in grades one through five.

Senate Finance Chairman Bill Raggio, R-Reno, has argued for flexibility because of the lack of classrooms to provide one teacher for 16 or 19 students. Often there are 32 students and two teachers in a classroom to achieve the ratio, an alternative called "team teaching" that is not true to the intent of the program, he said.