School Board approves budget with reservations

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Thursday, May 20, 2004 | 9:37 a.m.

With a 5-2 vote, the Clark County School Board approved a $1.62 billion operating budget Wednesday, but board member Denise Brodsky told Superintendent Carlos Garcia that he had failed to make the case for some of the most expensive items.

"As a trustee, it's my job to ask questions about the budget and it's your job, Mr. Garcia, to convince me this is going to achieve the results we've asked for as a board," Brodsky said. "I'm just not convinced."

Brodsky said Garcia had gotten off on the wrong foot with his previous request for $300,000 to pay for three new assistant regional superintendent positions, a request that was withdrawn earlier this month and was not part of the final budget submitted for the School Board's approval.

"We went to the Legislature last year and told them we were broke ... we told them we were cutting all kinds of programs and services," Brodsky said. "You were going to bring forward three new positions and you didn't have a plan to present to us how those new positions were going to have any impact on student achievement. I don't feel that you are being visionary."

Garcia disagreed and offered to outline for the School Board all of the student-achievement programs and services already in place.

"That would be great, Mr. Garcia. The only thing is, that should have been done before we were handed this budget to pass," Brodsky said.

Brodsky also said she didn't believe the district needed to spend $33 million for a new integrated data management system, which would consolidate all of the financial operations.

But Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations, said independent auditors have been calling for the district to replace its existing system for years. The district has been saving up funds in a special account to help cover the cost of the system, set to be phased in the next three years, Rulffes said.

School Board member Sheila Moulton, who said she had been in favor of approving the three new administrative positions, agreed with Brodsky that Garcia should have made his argument for the positions earlier. Especially, Moulton said, when the evidence backing him up is so compelling.

A report completed earlier this month showed that districtwide, 35 percent of elementary school principals and 45 percent of secondary school principals have three years or less experience in the position. Additionally, 58 percent of secondary assistant principals and 79 percent of the secondary deans have three years or less experience.

The proposed additional assistant regional superintendents would have helped guide and mentor the less-experienced school-site administrators, Moulton said. Ultimately that would have helped thousands of students, Moulton said.

The three new positions had been intended for the east, northwest and northeast regions. The northwest and northeast regions have seen the most growth -- in numbers of students and campuses -- while the east region has the largest number of at-risk and struggling schools.

"We need that leadership and it has to be quality leadership," Moulton said. "In my mind that would have been money well spent."

Moulton also disagreed with Brodsky that Garcia, as the district's chief executive, had failed to be "visionary." The "A Plus in Action" developed by Garcia, which includes initiatives for improving literacy in younger students and having more students complete algebra prior to high school, is evidence of a working vision, Moulton said.

Frank Albano, a substitute teacher running against Brodsky for the District E seat on the School Board, questioned the timing of her comments.

"These issues have been around for years and suddenly she's outraged and indignant?" asked Albano, who attended Wednesday's meeting. "This is 11th-hour grandstanding in a sad attempt to get some votes."

Shirley Barber, who along with Brodsky opposed approving the budget in the 5-2 vote, said she had "serious concerns" about the state of education in Clark County and the district's leadership.

"When I hear this person is getting a raise or that person is getting a raise and teachers are getting 2 percent, I say shame on us," said Barber, who will face six opponents on the ballot for the District C seat. "We have students who go off to college and need remedial classes, and some of them are Millennium Scholars."

Wednesday's board meeting was sparsely attended, with only two people signing up to address the School Board on matters related to the budget. Mary Ella Holloway, president of the Clark County Education Association, said she was dismayed that the budget did not include the $1.4 million the district agreed to pay toward a retiree health care fund.