Education board proposes 21 percent budget increase

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2000 | 11:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn has been pushing state agencies to hold the line on their proposed budgets, but the state Board of Education is sending him a request for $1.7 billion to support the public schools during the next two years, an increase of 21 percent or more than $300 million.

The proposed budget includes a 3 percent a year cost of living increase for teachers and a 5 percent boost in money to pay for health insurance coverage.

Guinn has directed state departments to take their present budget and not include any increases for the next two years.

Douglas Thunder, the deputy superintendent for finance in the state Department of Education, said the board "realized it (the school support budget) was more than available, but they felt it was important that the needs be made known."

State Budget Director Perry Comeaux said the elective education board and the board of regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada are independent of control by the governor. "They can do what they want," he said.

But he noted they must present their proposed budgets to Guinn for submittal to the Legislature. "We'll be going over it with a fine tooth comb," Comeaux said of the education request.

Of the 21 percent increase, 13 percent to 14 percent will go to cover enrollment increases, 2 percent will go for items such as the step increases a teacher receives for each year of experience and 3 percent for the cost of living raises.

The board adopted a budget that estimates an increase of 4 percent to 5 percent in students in each of the next two years. Enrollment declined last year in 13 of the 17 counties. But higher numbers were recorded in Clark, Nye, Lyon and Washoe counties, pushing up the state's total.

The majority of the growth in the next two years is predicted for Clark County.

Thunder said the basic support per student statewide will rise from $3,804 to $3,971 next school year and $4,088 the following year under the budget adopted by the education board, which met Friday in Las Vegas. That's without the money collected by the local school districts, most of it from the 50 cent property tax.

The education board wants to emphasize special education. The state now allocates about $29,000 for each classroom unit for handicapped students. Under the normal formula, it would go up $34,000 per unit during the biennium.

The board has included an extra $47 million to get the support formula to about $43,000, Thunder said. The average cost of a special education unit is estimated at about $55,000. And local districts are complaining they must take money out of their general fund to support these classes, and they suggest the state provide full funding for this program.

The $1.7 billion includes money to continue remedial programs for those students who can't pass tests; for the four professional development centers that train teachers and for contracting with private firms for the testing of students.

Thunder said the board held the line on the department's budget, which is apart from the money distributed to the local schools. He said it will total $321 million over the next two years with only $21.9 million coming from the state. The rest comes from the federal government.

The deadline for presenting the budgets to Comeaux's office is Aug. 15.