School Board turns down request for more employees

Terry Webster

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 11:19 a.m.

A plan to add dozens of new employees to the facilities division failed to make it past the Clark County School Board.

The $2.8 million request called for the addition of 45 positions and the deletion of nine, or a net increase of 36 employees.

Averaged out, the positions would cost about $78,000 per employee.

The money would come from bond-issue money set aside for administrative costs.

Administrators said they need more employees to to keep up with the demands of school construction projects, which are paid from the district's bond fund.

Not everyone bought the argument, though.

Two School Board members Thursday were absent from board's regular meeting and two more cast negative votes against the measure. As a result, it failed.

Additionally, questions were raised about an audit performed by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which concluded the facilities division is understaffed.

Board member Larry Mason said studies can find whatever someone wants them to find.

A cover letter for the audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers states, "The procedures we performed do not constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards or attestation standards."

Superintendent Carlos Garcia supported the hiring, saying the new positions are needed.

Garcia also asked for the item to be brought back before the board when all members are in attendance.

In other action, the board hired a new director for its English Language Learner program, Melba Madrid-Parra, at a salary of $64,188.

Since 1998, Madrid-Parra served as bilingual-migrant test director for Deming Public Schools in New Mexico.

She also was an elementary school principal, special education director and special education teacher for Deming Public Schools.

Madrid-Parra holds a master's degree in special education and a bachelor's degree in elementary education, history and math, both from Western New Mexico University.