Editorial: Shell shock won’t serve state’s needs

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

Nevada educators are well aware of the national trend toward full-day kindergarten. It's been building since the early 1990s and now 55 percent of all kindergartners in the country attend full time. They are also reading the studies that demonstrate measurable improvements among students in full-day programs versus the ones still in half-day sessions. They are also noting with chagrin that full-day kindergarten is available in Nevada only to students attending "at risk" schools. This is because at-risk schools receive extra federal funding, meaning that full-day programs can be offered there with no extra financial commitment from the state.

Studies consistently show that extra time in kindergarten better prepares all students, not just those in at-risk schools. Knowing this, the Nevada State Board of Education this week resolved to make longer kindergarten classes a top priority at the 2005 Legislature.

Nevada's legislators, who fund education, have spent a lot of time and money in recent sessions raising the standards for education, although the state still lags toward the bottom nationally in per-pupil spending. Yet we know the Board of Education's plan for a transition toward full-day kindergarten -- about 6 hours a day -- will be a hard sell. A full day of kindergarten was rejected by the 2003 Legislature, which said the $80 million estimated cost was out of the question. So the board, in a compromise plan, wants to extend the kindergarten day from the existing 2 hours of instructional time to 3 hours, 20 minutes.

In responding to the board's plan, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, recalled the 2003 Legislature's titanic battle over taxes. "No one -- absolutely no one -- is going to suggest we raise taxes in the next session," Raggio said. Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, who along with Raggio during that session helped make possible a badly needed $800 million tax increase to improve state services, is already on record with the same refrain. While we know there are political motivations that inspire such stances, we hope the Legislature ultimately remembers why the 2003 session became so bitter. The size of the tax increase was at the heart of the issue. Had the Legislature passed reasonable, incremental tax increases over the past 12 years, instead of having adopted the politically comfortable tactic of "holding the line," an increase of that magnitude woul d not have been needed.

Full-day kindergarten is a need that should begin receiving state funding. Let's not wait another dozen years and create another legislative nightmare by trying to catch up all at once.