Education proposals under fire

Erin Neff

Friday, March 28, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Lawmakers this morning questioned two key elements of Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposed education spending as a way to cut money from his budget.

A joint Assembly and Senate education funding subcommittee working on the school accounts launched into a policy discussion that had Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio proclaiming teacher stipends "a hill to die for."

The committee questioned whether Guinn's proposed all-day kindergarten and stipends for teachers in high impact areas or in at-risk schools were actually beneficial.

The subcommittee chairwoman, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said she preferred to look at class-size reduction in kindergarten as opposed to all-day kindergarten in at-risk schools.

"I personally think kindergarten kids deserve the same size class as first grade," Giunchigliani said.

Average kindergarten classes are about 25-to-1, compared to 16-to-1 in first grade. If kindergarten classes were reduced, the cost would be $25.4 million for the next two fiscal years, versus the $24 million Guinn earmarked for all-day kindergarten in 410 at-risk schools statewide.

Giunchigliani said if lawmakers are going to raise taxes, they may as well raise enough to cover programs they really want to fund.

Guinn's Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Hillerby said reducing class sizes runs counter to Guinn's other proposal that gives local school districts greater flexibility in class-size reduction.

Hillerby also said the governor thinks all-day kindergarten is more beneficial in class sizes of 22 or 24 than having a student in a 16-to-1 class for two and a half hours a day.

On the stipends, Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, questioned whether $2,000 makes a teacher stay at an at-risk school.

Raggio, R-Reno, fiercely defended Guinn's proposal, reminding the subcommittee that the Legislative Commission on Education had recommended the $2,000 stipend at at-risk schools and $3,000 stipends for psychologists and teachers of math, English as a second language and special education.

When Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, mentioned the lower amounts for stipends contained in Senate Bill 191, Raggio went on the offensive again, calling it "a hill to die for."

Guinn's budget earmarks $33 million for the stipends.

Giunchigliani, a former teacher, said she doubted the stipends would keep teachers at at-risk schools. She also questioned the $2,000 signing bonuses for all new teachers when other states offer $10,000 to $15,000 signing packages.