Lawmakers want proof education funds going to kids

Erin Neff

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003 | 8:49 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly Education Committee will soon hold hearings on a bill to conduct a performance audit of the Clark County School District.

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, is the prime sponsor of Assembly Bill 162, an act requiring audits of both the Clark and Washoe county school districts.

"As we look for new revenue to improve education, it is not enough to say we want to increase per-pupil spending," Goldwater said. "We need to make sure that any unnecessary spending on administration is cut and that state dollars appointed for education truly go toward improving the learning environment for our children."

Last week Assembly Democrats highlighted audits of both the state's higher education system and its two largest K-12 school districts as legislative priorities for passage in the first 45 days of the session.

AB162 requires examination of Clark County's financial, facilities and personnel management as well as district organization and employee health plans.

The audit is to be conducted after this legislative session adjourns, with reports due back before the 2005 session.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said last week he expected such an audit to cost about $300,000 and be paid for by the Clark County School District.

The bill was referred to the Assembly Education Committee and contains no fiscal note, meaning lawmakers do not intend for state dollars to be committed for the review.

Clark County Superintendent Carlos Garcia said his district has already spent between $200,000 and $300,000 on audits.

"We welcome any audit," Garcia said. "If someone else wants to do an audit, we're open to it."

But Garcia hopes the funding comes with any passage of an audit bill.

"Here we are in these tough fiscal times trying to do what's right," Garcia said. "I could hire quite a few teachers with that money."

Garcia said he also had some concerns about who would be auditing his district, since the auditors typically chosen are picked by the local school board.

"I just hope that they would provide the funding to do that audit," Garcia said. "In that case, bring it on."