Candidates address school funding during public forum

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

More than 200 parents and students turned out for an campaign forum on education spending Tuesday, eager to hear how candidates propose to improve the quality of Clark County's public schools.

The last-minute event at Johnson Junior High School, put together by a group of parents concerned about the ongoing shortage of education funding, was attended by candidates for Assembly, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the Clark County School Board, among other seats.

Mitchell Tracy, running for the District F seat representing the northwest and southwest regions of the Clark County School District, told the audience he was fed up with the lack of accountability by education officials. The district's five regional offices are top-heavy with unnecessary staff, Tracy said.

"If we cut five positions from each region, that's $2.5 million," Tracy said. "Imagine what the schools could do with that money."

Susan Brager, the incumbent board member for District F, said the district is accountable to the public and that there are numerous ways for concerned parents to get involved in oversight committees and volunteer commissions.

"We put the children first," Brager said. "We need to address the funding problems, but we take those questions right to Carson City and our lawmakers."

Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera, the Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, said he was tired of seeing Nevada's schoolchildren short-changed when it comes to federal funding.

"Our children haven't been getting their fair share for years, and that's got to change," Herrera said.

Erin Kenny, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said Nevada can no longer afford to ignore the crisis of its educational system. The lieutenant governor chairs the Commission on Economic Development, and the quality of public education plays a significant role in the fiscal well-being of the state, Kenny said.

"When potential employers come here, they want to know two things," Kenny said. "What kind of employees we're generating, and what kind of public schools we're offering that they could use to woo employees to Nevada."

Mary Jo Malloy, who helped organize the forum, said she was pleased by the turnout.