QUESTION 2: SCHOOL FUNDING

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 12:58 p.m.

Twice before Nevada teachers sought to raise taxes to increase funding for public schools. And twice they failed.

Now the Nevada State Education Association is trying a different tactic that will appear on the ballot as Question 2.

The question says, "Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended to require that the annual per-pupil expenditure for Nevada's public elementary and secondary schools equals or exceeds the national average?"

The proposal, if passed by the voters, would require the Legislature to raise the school-support level to the national average by 2012. It must pass in November and again in 2006 before becoming part of the state Constitution.

Debbie Cahill of the education association said it tried twice to tell the Legislature how to raise the money. "Now we're going to let the Legislature do its job and find the money."

But Carole Vilardo, executive director of the Nevada Taxpayers Association, says the proposal would require a major tax increase and there is nothing to measure whether the money would be used properly.

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, introduced a bill in 2003 to raise the state's support to the national average. That was estimated to cost $1.1 billion over the biennium. The bill never made it out of committee.

The secretary of state's office estimated it would cost $681 million this fiscal year to bring the expenditures up to the national average. It says it has no estimated on how much will be required by 2012.

The funding requirement wouldn't take effect until 2012 if it passes, Cahill said, giving the state time to do several things to offset the need for a tax increase. Between now and then there is likely to be a surplus in state funds, and part of that money could be allocated to education without a tax increase, she said.

In addition, she said public schools should be able to keep all of the money budgeted for them. Part of the sales tax goes to public schools. The school districts, however, do not benefit if the tax collections are higher than expected. That extra money is kept by the state.

Vilardo maintained a tax increase would be required anyway, given that 92 percent of the state's budget goes to public schools, higher education, human resources and prisons. That leaves only 8 percent that could contribute more to education, she said.

Opponents of the teachers' plan also say taxpayers spend millions of dollars building public schools to take care of student growth, an amount that is not included in the per-pupil calculations.