Superintendents asked to prioritize budget proposal

Thursday, June 20, 2002 | 9:33 a.m.

Calling their proposal to improve the Silver State's public classrooms a "well-intentioned wish list, not a blueprint," the chairman of the Legislative Committee on Education said Wednesday there isn't much chance of Nevada school superintendents getting the $904 million they've asked for.

During Wednesday's meeting of the committee, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, praised the 17 superintendents for their ambitious outline, which includes $54.7 million in pay increases for teachers in high-shortage areas such as special education and mathematics. At the same time, he urged the superintendents to review the so-called iNVest plan and prioritize the most essential programs.

"What I would really like is for some of these people to tell us where to find the money," Raggio said. "I would love to fund all of these things, but the facts remain that the money isn't available and isn't likely to become available anytime soon."

Clark County School District's best chance of improving its bottom line -- along with student performance -- lies with the iNVest plan, Superintendent Carlos Garcia said. A meeting with Gov. Kenny Guinn to discuss the proposal earlier this month was encouraging, even if there were no guarantees of support, Garcia said.

The state Board of Education has put forth its own proposal, asking for $851 million over the next two years. Many of the state board's ideas line up with the iNVest plan, said Jack McLaughlin, Nevada's superintendent of public education. The most significant difference is the state board's proposal for full-day kindergarten programs, McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said he was encouraged, rather than discouraged, by Raggio's comments. Even if the full amounts requested aren't available, there's still potential for several aspects of the plans, McLaughlin said.

"The important thing is that we've got people talking seriously about education in Nevada, and what we need to do to improve it," McLaughlin said. "That's a step in the right direction."