Lawmakers pass school bills, but funding still a question

Tuesday, June 3, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

The 2003 legislative session provided school districts in Nevada with the authority to set stricter standards for attendance, ban teachers from smoking on campus and permit students to carry cell phones and pagers.

Awaiting Gov. Kenny Guinn's signature are two additional bills sponsored by the Clark County School District.

The first, Assembly Bill 240, would let the district issue general obligation bonds to pay for replacing aging campuses, furnishing of classrooms and buses for student transportation. If the bill becomes law, Rancho High School would be the first campus replaced.

Senate Bill 460, which would give school officials more leeway to fire licensed personnel for sex- or drug-related offenses or for failing to maintain a valid license, is also headed for the governor's desk.

District officials said while they're pleased with the success rate for education-related bills, they are still anxiously awaiting the final budget that will determine how much money the state's schools will receive.

"We're all holding our breath around here," said Joyce Haldeman, executive director of community and government relations for the School District. "Our number one priority was funding, and that hasn't been resolved."

Susan DeFrancesco, principal of Bonanza High School, said the new regulations governing attendance could increase accountability for students, parents and teachers. The bill allows school districts to demand additional proof, beyond the standard written note from a parent, once a student's total absences pass a number to be set by each school district.

The next step will be for the Clark County School Board to decided whether it wants to revise its attendance regulations.

"We have the opportunity to send a message to our students, that they need to be in school to be successful," said DeFrancesco, who testified in favor of the bill.

The successful push to lift a statewide ban on students having cellular phones or pagers on campuses came from an unusual source -- seventh-grade history students at Becker Middle School in Las Vegas. The students came up with the idea after a visit from Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, who sponsored the final bill.