More school-construction staff sought

Terry Webster

Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 | 10:17 a.m.

An additional $85 million would be spent by the Clark County School District over the next eight years under a plan to add supervisors and other staff to the district's school construction program.

The plan, which has not yet received final approval from the School Board, would increase the number of employees for the program by 139, from 434 to 573.

Despite the cost, the district would still be able to build all of the schools planned to built with money from bond issues approved during the 1990s by taxpayers, district officials said.

Representatives from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the firm that conducted the district's staffing study, said 18 percent of the money for the new positions would come from the district's general fund and 82 percent would come from the bond fund.

School officials justified the new positions by pointing to student enrollment growth. This fall the district expects to enroll about 246,300 students, an increase of about 15,000 over last year.

District officials say that without increases in staffing levels, the bond program will fall behind by $282 million worth of work in 2002 and $404 million in 2003. Most of that is renovation work.

In order to keep pace with growing demands of the construction program, the district wants to have a single person overseeing each individual school project. The person, a facilities services representative, would oversee renovation, maintenance and new construction plans. This position would free school principals from dealing with school construction issues.

While interviewing 12 principals for its study, PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that principals want more input on construction issues but they want a project manager to handle the details.

Another concern raised by principals was that construction work needs to be completed properly and on time.

LuAnn Day, chairwoman of the Bond Oversight Committee, said the committee supports the plan and feels that the additional staffing is needed.

The School Board during a special meeting Wednesday reserved making a final decision on adding the positions. The issue is expected to appear on an upcoming meeting agenda.

Also on Wednesday, the board heard a proposal to provide a technology network in all schools at cost of $70 million.

Philip Brody, the district's chief technology officer, told the board the savings, over time, will be equal to or greater than the cost.

The technology allows schools to conduct video conferences, distance learning and lesson planning at home, via a voice and video system. The program is already up and running on a demonstration basis at several schools.

"I think this is just updating the district to do what business is already doing,' said board member Susan Brager-Wellman.

Around $50 million has already been funded for the program. An additional $20 million is expected to come from a bond fund for renovations.