Thursday, Sept. 9, 1999 | 2:20 a.m.
That's about 4.2 percent of the 1999 senior class, the state Department of Education said Wednesday. Before the 1997 Legislature demanded a more rigorous test, only about 1.5 percent of students flunked the proficiency test.
To help future students, the state is getting ready to allocate $1 million to eight school districts to finance remedial classes to help students pass the test.
Clark County will receive $428,793 for remedial programs and Washoe County will get the next largest share at $248,724.
At a meeting of the state Board of Examiners that reviewed the allocations Wednesday, Gov. Kenny Guinn voiced concern that nine counties would not receive any money to finance the extra instruction.
State Budget Director Perry Comeaux told the examiners board that eight school districts and one charter school in Washoe County applied for $2.7 million for remedial education but there is only $1 million. The other nine districts did not submit applications, Comeaux said.
"I would like to see what the school boards say to the superintendents who did not apply for this money," said Guinn, former school superintendent in Clark County.
He said White Pine County will receive $41,100, yet every student passed the proficiency test to graduate.
The latest number of those who did not pass the test this year is 709 students. In April there were 2,330 seniors who failed. But the Legislature allowed students to take the examination extra times. And it allocated $300,000 to provide remedial classes for those who failed in math.
Keith Rheault, deputy state superintendent of public instruction, said the 4.2 percent failure rate was not out of line because of the tougher questions and the required grades to pass. Seniors this year had to score a minimum of 61 percent in math and 70 percent in reading to graduate.
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