Editorial: Cutting school funds

Saturday, July 14, 2007 | 7:05 a.m.

I nexplicably, the U.S. Education Department's proposed budget slashes aid to Nevada for school programs to help English-language learners by 30 percent.

As reported by Emily Richmond in Wednesday's Las Vegas Sun, most of the money for educating students who have a low proficiency in English comes to Clark County , where one in five students has been identified as needing this help.

Keith Rheault, Nevada's superintendent of public instruction, said he was told that the federal government found fewer students in Nevada who would be considered English-language learners than in previous years. Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes summed it up succinctly, saying, "Something has gone haywire."

It obviously has. According to those who deal with English-language learner programs, the need for such training in Nevada is at an all-time high. The federal funding is important because Nevada, despite repeated pleas from superintendents, is one of only 18 states that does not give schools extra aid to help teach students with low proficiency in English.

Last year the state received $8.6 million in federal aid. The proposed cut of $2.6 million would be drastic. For the current fiscal year, which started July 1, the School District budgeted $28.4 million for English-language learner programs, expecting $8 million in federal aid. School officials want to add 23 specialists to work with teachers and students, but those plans may be shelved.

"We're certainly not getting that money from anywhere else," Rulffes said. This could be a serious problem. Nevada is behind only California and New Mexico in the concentration of English-language learners in its public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a federal clearinghouse.

Not teaching those students properly not only deprives them of a quality education, but it also puts stress on the School District. Teachers will be forced to do even more to meet the needs of English-language learners, which takes away teaching time from other students.

This should be common sense. The federal government should reverse course and restore full funding to Nevada.