School arts backers don’t like what they hear

Terry Webster

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 | 11:25 a.m.

When the curtain rose Tuesday night for a talk on the Clark County School District's dwindling budget, Superintendent Carlos Garcia found himself facing an angry audience of about 650 fine arts supporters.

In the wake of nearly $18 million in cutbacks to this year's overall district budget of $1.1 billion, students, teachers, parents and others pleaded with Garcia to preserve the future of the arts.

Standing center stage in Silverado High School's theater, Garcia said no cuts were made in the arts under the recent budget cuts.

"Believe me, I don't want to go there," said Garcia, whose daughter attends the Las Vegas Academy's fine arts program.

Conversely, Garcia repeated the same warning he has been sending out for weeks. Unless state funding improves in the 2001 Legislature, which begins Feb. 5, he said, the district may have no choice.

He pointed to statistics like rising utility costs; the district's per pupil funding, which is about $1,000 below the national average; noncompetitive teacher pay with no incentives, causing 400 teachers to reject contracts with the district this year; and reluctance by politicians to discuss the "T-word" -- taxes.

Suggestions from the audience ranged from a tax for shows on the Strip to less spending on outside professional consultants and a reduction in employees who don't directly affect classroom instruction.

Stacks of handouts listing state elected officials and how to contact them were displayed in the lobby. But dozens of those in the crowd said they left the meeting feeling frustrated, because there was no concrete plan for how to proceed.

During the meeting, School Board President Mary Beth Scow said it is not the superintendent's job to tell legislators how to design a plan to increase state funding. His job, she said, is to tell them the district's needs.

An audience member asked Garcia what he is doing to increase community support.

"What do you want us to say and who do you want us to say it to?" she said. "We're a strong community."

Some in the audience said they were concerned that state legislators were not invited to hear the concerns. Others questioned how cutting arts programs would save money.

"If you eliminate a class, there are still 30 kids to teach," parent John Marino said. "You still have to have a teacher."

While in the audience or addressing the crowd, supporters talked of ways the arts enhance education.

"We've had kids come out of the Las Vegas Academy who are famous singers," Charlene Gaines, a bus driver with the district, said. "Where would those kids be now?"

Caryn Wunderlich Gott of Southern Nevada Music said students with arts training attain higher academic performance. She said studies have shown students with music training are more creative and have better memory and organizational skills than those without it.

UNLV music education students Tammera White and Mary Meoli both said their arts training helped them graduate.

"If I didn't have music, I would have dropped out," said Meoli, who graduated from Las Vegas Academy. "And I know a lot of other students who would have followed me."