Reid will push for federal help to hire more teachers

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001 | 9:48 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid says he will try in this Congress to get federal money to hire 1,000 new teachers in Clark County and pay off most of the Clark County School District's $100 million in interest payments on school construction.

"No place in America is more in need," Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday after a news conference at the Old Mormon Fort, where he outlined his "Putting Nevada First" plan. In addition to education, the strategy covers health care, economic security and quality of life for the state's residents.

Reid said growth in Southern Nevada demands more money for school construction -- money that the district gets by issuing bonds at market interest rates.

"Clark County builds about a school per month just to keep pace and owes $100 million in interest alone on that construction," Reid said. "We will try to get the federal government to pay most of that interest so the school district can concentrate on paying the principal."

To reduce class sizes, Reid said, Nevada does not necessarily need more school buildings, but rather more teachers.

Bill drafts are not yet available for either of those proposed plans, which also would assist other school districts nationwide.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who was sworn in Jan. 3, also has been working on legislative priorities that will focus on education and health care issues, his office said.

Not surprisingly, both of Reid's proposals were met Tuesday by praise from local school officials.

"Paying off the interest will enable us to do two things -- first it would make dollars available for other school construction, and second it would save taxpayers money," Walt Rulffes, the school district's chief financial officer, said.

"This clearly shows recognition on the part of the senator to meet our most prominent issues -- class-size reduction and school construction. Of course we are aware there is a long road ahead (to approval of the proposals), but it's a first step."

Clark County will open 10 schools this year. The local school district grows by 12,000 students per year, creating a constant demand for good teachers.

"If I didn't look for quality, I could fill every position almost immediately" George Ann Rice, the district's assistant superintendent for human resources, said. "We want only quality teachers."

She called Reid's 1,000-teacher proposal "fantastic -- it gives us hope."

Still, she said, if the proposal is just more money for teachers across the board, Clark County will be in the same boat it is now -- competing against school districts that offer better salaries and incentives.

"They will just be richer too, and we still will be going after the same pool of available teachers," said Rice, noting that the district pays about $50,000 per teacher in salary and benefits. The Clark County School District has about 13,000 teachers.

"What I'm hoping is that a bill can be drafted in such a way that would allow the school district to use the money to work in partnership with UNLV and others to develop new teachers through universities -- to create a new pool of quality teachers."

Reid, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, also plans to encourage Congress to pass health care legislation such as the Patient's Bill of Rights, breast cancer research funding and prescription drugs for seniors covered by Medicare.

As for economic security, Reid wants a $1 per hour increase in the minimum wage, a "lockbox" approach to Social Security and Medicare accounts, and a proposed "targeted" tax cut smaller than the one President-elect George W. Bush proposes.

Regarding quality of life, Reid supports renewable energy sources, such as geothermal energy that takes heat from the Earth, seeks new clean air and water initiatives, and wants road and airport needs addressed.

Congress will reconvene after Bush's inauguration on Saturday, with the Senate approval of Bush's Cabinet appointees high on the list of priorities.