Editorial: Don’t worry, be happy

Wednesday, July 9, 2003 | 9:01 a.m.

Assembly Republicans contend that our schools haven't been hurt yet by the budget-and-taxes impasse -- a deadlock these legislators have created -- noting that school districts have funding that lasts through July. But the education of Nevada's children already is in jeopardy.

The Clark County School District has put off hiring 1,000 new teachers needed for the coming school year because of the uncertainty that the Legislature will provide enough funding to pay their salaries. Although 411 teaching specialists will be transferred to regular classrooms to help alleviate the situation, that still leaves a huge hole to fill. And for the applicants who had accepted a job offer prior to the district's ending its nationwide search for new hires, a record number of them are now backing out -- 24 percent of the 918 offers have been rejected. Teachers, just like any other group of professionals, look for stability -- and Nevada isn't affording that right now.

Maybe the 15 anti-tax Republicans can blithely ignore the mess they've created -- but we sure can't and neither can the parents of the children in our public schools.