Disruptive-students program defended

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2001 | 10:38 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's decision to scrap a $500,000-a-year program to help school districts handle disruptive students came under some criticism today by state legislators.

Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said the solution is not to kick kids out of school.

Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington, said the program was "not given a fair shake" before Guinn decided not to put it in his $3.74 billion budget.

Two years ago the Legislature allocated $486,287 the first year and $500,000 the second year for grants for pilot programs to keep disruptive students in the classroom.

Keith Rheault, deputy state superintendent of public instruction, said the money was distributed to eight programs. Initial evaluations showed they were not working well, he told a joint meeting of Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees.

But he said recent results show they are "operating 100 percent better."

Some of the pilot programs could be blended into other efforts to keep disruptive students in school, he said.

Cegavske questioned whether the state or the districts track students who are kicked out of school.

"What's happening to them?" she asked. "We need to address that. We have disposable students."

Rheault also told the subcommittees that the state Department of Education needs additional staff to track charter schools in Nevada, even though only six are licensed.

"They demand a lot of time to assist them," Rheault said.

Applications are pending for nine more charter schools, he said. The department has a part-time consultant and a part-time auditor assigned to oversee charter schools. Rheault wants to make both positions full time.

He also told the committee the education department has applied for a $15 million, three-year federal grant to help charter schools renovate and buy materials.