Teachers target district spending

Wednesday, June 12, 2002 | 9:54 a.m.

Clark County teachers this morning accused school district administrators of "voodoo budget practices" and recklessly spending millions on new programs instead of funding faculty pay increases.

John Jasonek, executive director of the Clark County Education Association, said the district spent $10 million to bring in Edison Schools Inc. to manage seven campuses, and another $1 million on a pilot program studying class scheduling. The reorganization of the district into five regions cost $4 million, Jasonek said.

"This is a school board spending spree on the backs of teachers," Jasonek said.

The allegations came in an effort to spur negotiations over a new contract for teachers. Talks on the contract, which does not expire, are about a year behind.

Jasonek said he asked that the current arbitration sessions between the district and the teacher's union be held in public instead of the usual closed-door sessions. The school district refused, Jasonek said.

Edward Goldman, superintendent of the Clark County School District's southeast region, called Jasonek's claims a "cheap shot."

"The teachers' union didn't really want the arbitration made public, and they knew we would say no," Goldman said. "This isn't about disclosure ... This is about being able to effectively conduct a serious meeting without participants playing to the crowds."

Goldman added that Jasonek's math was misleading. Edison's $10 million deal came from per-pupil funding that would have gone to the schools regardless. And the district's reorganization will in the long run save millions of dollars, improving accountability and efficiency, he said.