Partisan disagreement deadlocks progress on education funding

Friday, May 9, 2003 | 9:27 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Stumbling blocks keep piling up in the state's financing of public schools as Republicans and Democrats deadlocked Thursday on issues such as teacher pay and a longer school year.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, the chairwoman of a Senate-Assembly budget subcommittee, proposed teachers receive a 4 percent raise this year and next year.

She also suggested that the 180-day school year be lengthened by five days, with three extra days of classes and two for professional development for teachers.

"All public employees deserve a salary increase," she told the subcommittee.

Her salary increase proposal would cost an additional $112 million over the next two years.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has recommended a 2 percent pay raise this year for teachers.

The extra five days would come at a cost of about $50 million.

But Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, argued that the suggestions were outside the recommendations of Guinn's budget.

He questioned whether people would be willing to fork up additional funds at this time.

"The governor wants $1 billion over two years and that will be hard enough to sell," he said.

Raggio argued that teacher pay in the state is in the middle of the range nationally and that Nevada pays full retirement benefits while most other states do not.

Financing public schools takes up more than 35 percent of the state's budget. School district officials have said that if the Legislature doesn't pass the Guinn budget, there will be major cuts in education.

Giunchigliani is also pushing for a starting salary for teachers of $30,000. In Clark and Washoe counties, the two largest school districts, the starting pay is $26,400 to $26,800.

The Assembly side of the committee, where Democrats have the edge, backed Giunchigliani. The Senate, where Republicans have the majority, declined to go for it.

Guinn has included money in his budget to pay 10 percent more to cover insurance premiums for teachers in each of the coming two fiscal years.

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, citing a "tremendous inflation factor in health care," proposed raising Guinn's figure to 15 percent in each of the coming two years.

Raggio noted that would add $14 million to the budget.

The governor's budget provides the traditional amount of money for textbooks but no inflationary increases in the next two years. Giunchigliani and Goldwater pushed to include the inflation factor to cover the increased cost of textbooks and instructional supplies.

But Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, pointed out that the governor had also included an extra $50 per student for books and supplies, outside of the budget.

At a meeting of the subcommittee last week, the Democrats and Republicans deadlocked on giving schoolteachers bonuses, on financing full-day kindergarten and on a class-size reduction formula.