Democrats want changes on Guinn’s schools plan

Cy Ryan and Kirsten Searer

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Democrats made it clear Monday they want to change Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to spend $100 million on failing or near-failing elementary schools.

But Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, wondered on the Senate floor Monday if Democrats are simply looking for a back-door avenue to fund full-day kindergarten, which is at the top of Democrats' legislative agenda.

Guinn already included $100 million in his budget for remediation in kindergarten through sixth grade. The remediation plan is a cornerstone of Guinn's plan for the new biennium.

Senate Bill 404, supported by Republicans, would create a nine-member commission to allocate that money.

The bill passed the Senate Monday, 15-5, over the objections of Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said the commission would simply add more bureaucracy, especially because every school already has a plan for improvement. She offered an amendment, supported by other Democrats, that called for $25 million to go to low performing schools, $25 million to those "on the brink" of falling into the low performing category and $50 million for innovative programs that would be open to all schools.

Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, said her goal was to see that the dollars get into the classroom.

"We don't need another bureaucracy," she said.

The amendment lost 12-8 along party lines, with Republicans in the majority.

But Democrats continued to hammer away at the idea of the commission on Monday. Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, amended Assembly Bill 525 on to use Guinn's $100 million for a variety of programs, including remediation, innovative programs and full-day kindergarten for all students.

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved the bill, which will now go to the full Assembly.

Giunchigliani said many people worry that the commission would slow down money going to schools. She said the state Board of Education could allocate the money. Plus, she said, the state should focus on helping students before they need remediation, and not just in elementary grades.

"If our schools have to literally spend $100 million on only remediation instead of prevention of remediation, than we might as well all go home, as far as I'm concerned," she said.

Giunchigliani did say the move was a way for Democrats to fund full-day kindergarten. She said legislators could pull $50 million from Guinn's remediation fund for full-day kindergarten for all students.

Then, the state could afford full-day kindergarten by simply adding another $7 million in ongoing money from the general fund and a one-shot amount of $12 million to build new classrooms.

The rest of the $100 million would go to programs, such as two bills passed Monday by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee that would create pre-kindergarten programs for English language learners and allow schools to establish pilot programs for disruptive pupils.

Raggio expressed frustration Monday at Democrats' opposition to Senate Bill 404. He said the proposed amendment to redistribute the money and kill the idea of a commission to distribute the money would "gut" Guinn's proposal. Senate committees examined the governor's plan "extensively," he said.

Raggio said that at-risk schools could choose to use their remediation money to create full-day kindergarten programs, but he said the Titus proposal "was an attempt to sneak in full-day kindergarten."

The only one lobbying for the amendment, he said, was the state Board of Education.

"I'm a little miffed," Raggio said, mentioning that a few years back there was a movement to abolish the state board, but he fought to retain it.

Guinn spokesman Greg Bortolin said the governor is willing to look at other ideas, but thought a commission would hold schools accountable for their results.

The proposed Commission on Educational Excellence would be composed of those who have worked on improving schools and it would not be another bureaucracy, Raggio said.

The state Department of Education previously said 94 of the 337 elementary schools in Nevada are on the failing list and another 99 are on the "watch list."

The bill calls for the commission to be made up of two teachers and two principals who have each experience in improving schools; two school administrators, one of whom must come from either Clark or Washoe counties and the other from the rural counties; a parent, and one representative from a regional center that trains teachers.

After Raggio defeated the Titus amendment, he noted that Monday was her birthday. He and the rest of the senators sang "Happy Birthday." She turned 55 on Monday.

While Guinn is willing to talk about how to spend the $100 million, he is committed to putting it only toward kindergarten through sixth grades, Bortolin said. That way, he said, schools can help children in their early years, before they fall behind.