Crowds grow as schools rally for state funding

Eric Leake

Wednesday, March 12, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Christine Paris acknowledged that she was nervous speaking before about 1,200 people in Green Valley High School's packed gymnasium Tuesday.

But the sixth grade cellist had a message to deliver: Don't cut orchestra.

She said that orchestra has taught her respect. When other students might snicker at an off note, she is quiet because she wouldn't want somebody laughing at her small mistakes.

"But if you cut the school music budget, that wouldn't be a small mistake. It'd be a big mistake," she said to loud applause.

The Clark County School District faces up to $220 million in budget cuts over the next two years if proposed taxes are not approved by the Legislature. At Tuesday's meeting -- the third of four and best attended yet -- administrators said that they had to be prepared for budget cuts.

The final meeting is 6:30 tonight at Chaparral High School.

"We have a legal obligation to submit a balanced budget," district Superintendent Carlos Garcia said. "We don't like it. Nobody here likes it, but that's our job."

Garcia urged the crowd to write to their legislators asking them to pass taxes to fund public schools.

"All of us want somebody else to pay for things. We want a tourist to pay for us," he said. "The responsibility for our children is our responsibility."

A census report released Tuesday ranked Nevada as 46th in the nation in spending per pupil in 2001. The state spent $5,778 on each pupil that year, compared with a national average of $7,284 per pupil, according to the census.

The district has made $97 million in cuts in the past three years. With a budget draft due in May and the Legislature not expected to act on tax proposals before June, the district is facing more tough choices regardless of the legislative outcome, the crowd was told.

Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations, said those tough cuts will likely be people. Of the district's $1.3 billion budget, 88 percent is spent on its 26,000 employees, he said.

"We have to make cuts where the money is being spent," Rulffes said. "If we have to make cuts, we have to cut people."

Sandra Williams, a fourth grade bilingual teacher at Robert Lunt Elementary, said cutting teachers is "one of the worst things they could do."

"We're already struggling because we have such large class sizes," she said.

Personnel outside of the classroom -- school police, custodians, and specialists -- said their departments can't take any more cuts either.

Custodian Chris Urbanski said there were 14 custodians at Green Valley High School when it opened 10 years ago, and now there are nine.

"It's making it even harder for us to get our work done," Urbanski said as he cleared chairs from the night's meeting. "We're barely getting by as we are."

Tuesday, for example, the five custodians at Green Valley High School had to clean up before and after the meeting, a track meet, wrestling practice, community college classes and softball and baseball games.

Urbanski said they do not get overtime unless it is authorized. He also is aware that outside cleaning companies are bidding for custodial staff positions.

"So to me, if they wants to do cuts, they might come around and cut us," he said.

Officer Jeff Mendenhall is one of two school police officers assigned to Green Valley High School. He patrolled the track meet during the town hall forum.

Mendenhall said any cuts to school police could jeopardize safety and leave a lone police officer without backup.

"We're here for the safety of the kids and the staff," he said. "With the way the situation is in the world today, I feel safety is a priority."

Of the district's employees, only 4 percent are central office staff. That figure did not stop Marlene Powell from suggesting that administrators look first at themselves for cuts.

"I would like to spend a day with any of the board members up there so I can learn what it is you do," said Powell, a mother and volunteer at Estes McDoniel Elementary School.

She offered to help out around administrative offices and said she would even serve administrators lunch at her house.

"I know it doesn't sound like a lot," she said. "but when I have to volunteer at my son's classroom and bring Kleenex and hand wipes, there's a problem."