Board wants more money for Nevada schools

Tuesday, April 16, 2002 | 9:22 a.m.

The board voted unanimously Saturday to ask for an additional $857 million over the next two years for teacher raises, as well as added kindergarten and summer school programs.

Guinn had told all state agencies to prepare flat budgets for the coming biennium, allowing only for such things as growth in student enrollments or welfare rolls. The request came after state tax revenues dipped following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

John Gwaltney, a board member from Reno, said Nevada students deserve financial support at the average level with the rest of the nation's pupils.

The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that in 1999 the average per student expenditure was $6,508, while Nevada was at $5,587 or 38th in the nation.

Board member Gary Waters of Las Vegas said the request may not be realistic in view of the state's unstable financial condition.

State Budget Director Perry Comeaux said Sunday it would be impossible to provide the money. "If there was a significant increase in revenues, we could look at this," he added.

The board voted to raise the annual salary of beginning teachers by $3,000 and continue a $2,000 signing bonus for all teachers hired into the public schools.

Panel members also included a 5 percent cost-of-living increase in fiscal 2004 and a 3 percent the following fiscal year.

The increased salaries would cost more than $310 million over the two-year period.

The board also endorsed spending $16 million to expand pre-kindergarten programs, to serve an additional 1,000 youngsters in each of the two fiscal years.

Full-day kindergarten classes would be established in the next biennium, instead of the current half-day classes. The board also called for a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio, at a cost of $118.7 million.

To provide new classroom space for the school districts, the state board recommended the state provide $257.6 million.

Also included in the increased spending plan were added instruction for limited English proficient students at a cost of $76.9 million; and summer school and between-session classes for middle school and high school students who have fallen behind, at a cost of $4.1 million.

An additional $134 million would be distributed to the districts to restore programs, activities and services cut or reduced by districts because of inadequate revenues this fiscal year.