School Board hopefuls square off in forum

Terry Webster

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000 | 11:16 a.m.

On TV

The program will be rebroadcast at 3 p.m. Friday and 6:30 p.m. Sunday on KCLV Channel 2.

Candidates for one of the less visible races -- the Clark County School Board -- made an appearance Tuesday for a televised debate on education issues.

The live forum, aired on the city station KCLV cable Channel 2, tackled topics ranging from the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam to a proposal to break up the district, the nation's sixth largest.

Candidates said the School Board race is receiving little media attention compared with other races, yet it directly affects the county's 231,000 students.

"You hear all the politicians, from the presidential candidates, senators, Congress people, state senators and assembly members talking about education and how they want to improve it," District A candidate Isaac Farrell said. "But in reality, there are seven people in Clark County who really control what happens in our schools. They are the Board of Trustees."

Four terms of four years apiece are open, paying $80 per meeting for members and $85 for the board president and clerk. Board members also receive mileage for attending meetings that require more than five miles of travel and attend conferences approved by the entire board.

School Board President Mary Beth Scow and Farrell opened the debate, followed by District B incumbent Ruth Johnson and challenger Troy Bulloch and District E candidates Denise Brodsky and Jacqueline Jones. Brodsky and Jones are competing for the seat currently held by Lois Tarkanian, who is running for County Commission.

District C incumbent Shirley Barber and her opponent Beatrice Turner did not attend.

Scow, Farrell, Brodsky and Jones all said that in order to increase the number of students passing the High School Proficiency Exam, students must be required to take courses that reflect the material included on the exam.

Bulloch said ensuring that children are developing proper reading skills by the first grade, followed by Superintendent Carlos Garcia's plan to require algebra by middle school, will help students pass the exam.