Editorial: Time for legislators to tune in

Thursday, March 13, 2003 | 8:47 a.m.

If the Nevada Legislature doesn't increase taxes and pay for education at the levels proposed by Gov. Kenny Guinn, the administration estimates that the Clark County School District would have to cut $220 million from its budget over the next two years. Some of the areas facing severe cuts or elimination from the school district's $1.2 billion annual budget include gifted and talented programs, guidance counseling, music programs, reading specialists and sports.

So that parents understand what's at stake, school district officials recently held four town hall meetings, the last of which was Wednesday night at Chaparral High School. All of the meetings have been packed with concerned parents -- 1,200 people attended Tuesday's gathering in Green Valley High School's gymnasium. Parents have made it clear that cuts to educational programs aren't acceptable.

When the town hall meetings were first announced more than a week ago, parent Ray Verhelst aptly summed up the feelings of others throughout the Las Vegas Valley. "I'm not going to stand by while they gut my children's school," he said. "Do we want schools without music programs? Without gym? Let's be serious here." Indeed. Legislators in Carson City who are opposed to increased spending for education, or those who still are sitting on the fence, should look at the strong support here for education. We can't go on refusing to meet the needs of our children: The latest census report showed that Nevada ranked 46th in the nation in per pupil spending on education. The governor's broad-based tax plan should be passed to meet the state's growing needs, including those of education.