LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006 | 7:36 a.m.

Two School Board members, incumbent Terri Janison and the newly elected Carolyn Edwards, say they want Clark County to have a stronger presence in Carson City during the upcoming legislative session.

But veteran member Larry Mason, who will start his 13th year on the School Board in January, said he's approaching the idea with a fair amount of caution.

It could be problematic if a member provides lawmakers with information that differs from the official positions forwarded by the superintendent and the district's professional lobbyists, Mason said.

"I have no trouble testifying (before lawmakers) when I have all the facts in front of me," Mason said. "But in the hallways or over dinner, it could be different. That's where you really have to mind your p's and q's."

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., wants the Clark County School District to go even further than Carson City.

He suggested to the Sun that a lobbyist stationed in Washington, D.C., also could yield benefits.

"If they had consultants who specialized in helping them find additional grant money, they would pay for themselves," Porter said in an interview before his re-election.

The nation's two largest school districts - New York and Los Angeles - each have D.C. lobbyists working full-time.

The district has steadily increased its share of federal grant dollars, receiving about $94 million in 2005, up from $55 million the prior year.

Joyce Haldeman, executive director of community and government relations, said Porter's suggestion makes sense.

"We do need a presence in D.C. The inability to monitor federal education dollars, and how they come to school districts, hurts us," Haldeman said. "I go (to Washington) three or four times a year, but that's not enough to make a difference."

Clark County School District police are getting a hefty pay raise, intended to stem the exodus of experienced officers and increase competitiveness in recruiting.

Starting pay for officers will be $45,351, up from $38,896. All officers with fewer than four years experience will be paid the new salary, while a 4 percent pay hike will go to officers with at least four years on the job.

Phil Gervasi, president of the Clark County School Police, said he has heard carping that the union manipulated public opinion by staging rallies to comment on near-daily episodes of criminal activity. The laundry list includes a record number of weapons seized from students, shots fired at school buses, and brawls at football games.

"Every single one of those incidents was genuine - unfortunately," Gervasi said.

Greenspun Junior High School Principal Beth Howe can only shake her head when she watches her students pull out their cell phones at the end of the day.

"They're on the phone before they even leave our campus," Howe said. "They're on the phone, talking to each other, the whole way they walk home."

When they get home, many students are logging onto the Internet, to continue their conversations with classmates. And too often, the subject matter involves teasing, spreading rumors and mean-spirited remarks.

That's one of the reasons why Howe wanted her campus to host a recent parent workshop on the potential dangers of students using sites like MySpace, and the increase in so-called "cyber-bullying" nationwide.

"It's changing everything," Howe said. "Parents need to know exactly what their kids are doing on line."

Cell phones, text messages and social networking sites like MySpace.com allow students an endless stream of communication. A mean remark that might once have taken a week to make the rounds of the school rumor mill now travels at high-tech speed, Howe said.

She's also troubled that her students are posting personal information online, details that could potentially allow a stranger to track them down.

"Red flags are posting pictures in their school shirts," she said. "That can ID a location."