Two LV senators question school district’s funding use

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's teachers union told the Senate Taxation Committee on Tuesday that public schools could face significant cuts unless there is a major increase in taxes.

Al Bellister of the Nevada State Education Association said there could be increases in class size and reductions in music, athletics and technology programs if state taxes are not increased.

But his statements were challenged by Sens. Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, and Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas.

"The schools are not underfunded," Tiffany said. She said there is sufficient money, but that it is being misdirected.

The Clark County School District may have a shortfall of $70 million but that is due in part to collective bargaining by teachers for pay raises, she said.

For example, Tiffany said, the district has about 125 curriculum developers, many of them making about $100,000 a year.

The district, Tiffany said, cut where it hurts the most instead of looking at less essential areas.

O'Connell asked why the School District spent $8.5 million constructing a building at Pecos and Flamingo roads only to fill it with new administrators.

Bellister said without more money from the state, school districts would not be able to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The consequences would be longer school days and longer school years, he said.

Nevada, he said, is $1,500 per student below the national average in education funding. The district has "layers upon layers of accountability," and the vast majority of schools in Nevada are performing adequately, he told the committee.

The comments came during a four-hour hearing in which a parade of business people expressed their opposition to Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal for a gross receipts tax.

Representatives from such industries as car sales, banks, petroleum and convenience stores all urged the committee to junk the gross receipts tax.

They said the tax was unfair because it hits hardest at high-volume and low-profit businesses, an argument that has been voiced repeatedly by business interests.

Sam McMullen, representing the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said his group supports a broad-based service tax of 5 percent to 5.5 percent instead of the gross receipts tax of 0.25 percent. He said the sales tax on products, now 7.25 percent in Clark County, might be able to be reduced by 2 percentage points.

Michael Pennington, representing the Greater Reno Chamber of Commerce, said his group wants to see increases in funding for the school districts. But he said his group has not taken a position on a service tax.