School bosses go car shopping

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 11:14 a.m.

More than two dozen white Chevrolet Malibu sedans have been left outside Richard Ennes' office in the past month, but the Clark County School District's business manager is hoping for a few more sets of keys.

Today marks the deadline for 30 administrators to turn in their district-owned cars -- a policy change that could save as much as $1 million a year, Ennes said.

"There's still a couple of stragglers out there," Ennes said Tuesday. "I think some people have gotten attached and are waiting until the last possible moment to say goodbye."

Spurred by the looming threat of $111 million in budget cuts, district officials announced in May the free car perk would be phased out. Also, administrators not assigned to school sites were told to hang up their district-owned cell phones.

Despite trimming more than $90 million from the annual budget in the past three years, district officials say they are still battling the public's perception of a top-heavy administration that pampers employees with unnecessary perks.

The white sedans with the school district's "A+" logo on the front doors were often a source of confusion to the public,Ennes said.

"I'd get angry calls from people telling me one of our vehicles was parked at a casino," Ennes said. "It didn't make them feel much better when I told them our employees were allowed to to take the cars home after work hours."

The administrative vehicles, some of which are less than five years old, will replace older cars in the district's fleet used by facilities inspectors and other employees that must drive long distances as part of their jobs, Ennes said. While the bulk of the administrative cars are Chevy Malibus, there are a few other models mixed in, Ennes said.

A handful of administrators were given extensions to use the district vehicles while they finalize purchases or leases of their own, Ennes said. Those employees will be reimbursing the district for the mileage, Ennes said.

Clark County School Board member Susan Brager-Wellman said she was pleased the policy change went forward even after the $111 million budget cuts were not necessary.

"We're being proactive," Brager-Wellman said. "We've had some funding increases but they barely cover our enrollment growth, and all we've been able to do is maintain the status quo. As the purse gets smaller, we have to keep finding new ways to tighten the strings."

Edward Goldman, superintendent of the district's southeast region, said he turned in his Ford Crown Victoria at the beginning of September. But he said it's too soon to tell whether the new policy will save the district money in the long run, Goldman said.

"Yes, you're saving money not having to maintain those cars or buy new ones," Goldman said. "But now you're having to reimburse employees for mileage, and this is a very big district and there are some administrators who are required to drive a lot. This may be a trade-off."

So far 58 employees have either transferred their phones to personal accounts or had their service terminated, Ennes said. Monthly bills for those accounts ranged from a low of $20 to a high of $300, with most averaging $70, Ennes said.

While the $270,000 annual cell phone bill was far from the biggest drain on the district's coffers, saving every dollar possible became a renewed priority last spring, Ennes said. By the time the last cell phone is turned off, the district hopes to cut the bill in half, Ennes said.

"There's a realization on the part of all government, not just the School District, that essential programs must take priority," Carole Vilardo, executive director of the Nevada Taxpayer's Association, said Tuesday. "Extras such as vehicles and cell phones don't rank up there with basic services."

The district should have moved to eliminate the vehicles and the cell phones last year before canceling middle school athletics, for a savings of $350,000, Vilardo said. The sports program was saved thanks to fund-raising efforts by parent and community groups, as well as allocations from the Henderson and Las Vegas city councils.

But late is better than never in this case, Vilardo said.

"This speaks well of the district," Vilardo said. "They are responding to what the public says it wants tax dollars to pay for first, and that is the education of children."