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Editorial… but not on books

Thursday, June 13, 2002 | 8:49 a.m.

A proposal to spend $424,000 to buy new algebra textbooks for eighth graders in the Clark County School District is in danger of being scuttled. The state Board of Examiners, made up of Gov. Kenny Guinn, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and Secretary of State Dean Heller, nearly rejected the proposal Tuesday. Fortunately Heller, who expressed doubts about turning down the request, was able to put off a final vote until the board's next meeting.

Guinn says a budget shortfall means the state can't afford the textbooks, but that reason isn't good enough. The state can find the money elsewhere -- if it wants to. For instance, last year state government paid out $34.4 million in overtime to its employees. If the state did a better job of managing these costs, there would be plenty of money available for math textbooks. Elected officials talk a good game about giving students the tools to succeed. The Board of Examiners should make sure this is more than empty rhetoric, though, by approving the request for new algebra textbooks.

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