Lawmakers hike per-pupil funding

Terry Webster

Tuesday, June 5, 2001 | 10:47 a.m.

State officials appear to have come through with enough money to keep the walking distance at two miles for Clark County School District high school students.

Chief Financial Officer Walt Rulffes said it looks like the district will not have to increase the walking distance to three miles.

"As we understand it, there will be enough money to reinstate that," he said.

School Board president Mary Beth Scow called it "the best news the district has heard in a long time."

Bracing for the worst, school officials had planned to have high school students walk as far as three miles -- or use transportation other than district busing -- in order to save costs.

School officials sounded optimistic Monday after lawmakers talked of funding a $101 -- or 2 percent increase -- in state per-pupil aid. That means the district's state per-pupil aid would rise from $3,630 to $3,701.

The district was anticipating a $30 increase in state per pupil aid, at best.

"We really commend the governor and Legislature for doing the best they can, given the financial conditions," said Rulffes.

Still, the district will not be able to make any major additions to its academic programs. Instead, it will "hold the line' over the next two years.

"We think things are going to get a little tight in the second year," said Rulffes.

The Legislature meets once every two years.

The proposed per-pupil increase also led Rulffes to predict that he will be able to lift a "hiring deferment" on teaching positions related to growth.

The district approved the hiring deferment as an accounting mechanism under the the final $1.2 billion budget for 2001-2002. School officials admitted that it was not feasible, however, to defer or cut any teaching positions.

"The teaching positions and the transportation are very critical," Scow said. "The board wanted to reinstate those if at all possible."

School officials also were encouraged by talks of funding for $4.4 million in each year of the biennium for an elementary school reading program. Additionally, a new program for early childhood education will be put in place.

At this time, it appears other cuts made by the district cannot be reinstated, Rulffes said.

Among the cuts, Superintendent Carlos Garcia scrapped plans for a new block scheduling program, which would have allowed students to take more classes per semester. He said the program was aimed at students who fell behind in required course credits.

Programs for dropouts and students with discipline problems also were cut.

Lawmakers plan to give teachers a bonus of about 3 percent this year, followed by a pay hike of at least 2 percent next year. Based on state revenues, the second-year pay raise could be boosted to 4 percent. Additionally, the state budget provides for a $2,000 incentive for new teacher hires this year.