Talking out of school, taking calls on the tube

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, March 27, 2007 | 7:29 a.m.

The Clark County School Board's chambers can hold up to 140 people. The average meeting draws about half that.

But more than 9,400 viewers tuned in last week to a new call-in television show as two School Board members, the superintendent and a financial analyst answered questions about education funding.

The phones rang steadily at the Vegas PBS Channel 10 studio Wednesday, where the second episode of "School Matters," the Clark County School Board's new call-in show, aired live. The program is the district's latest attempt to reach out to the public - folks who don't show up at School Board meetings to complain.

The School Board has long held the broadcasting license for Vegas PBS. With the exception of some public service announcements over the years, this is the first time board members have been the stars of the show.

The first episode of "School Matters" earlier this month drew too few viewers to measure. But the second show, owing perhaps to the topic and a more aggressive advertising campaign, pulled in more than respectable ratings.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has a call-in show, which typically airs on the first and third Tuesdays of the month on KCLV Channel 2. The show has been a popular programming staple since the days when Jan Jones was mayor, said Dave Riggleman, communications director for the city.

Exact viewership numbers aren't known, but the station has about 50,000 households watching on a regular basis, Riggleman said. The annual viewer survey puts the call-in show among the three most popular programs, along with the City Council and Planning Commission meetings.

The School Board's sophomore ratings are "not too bad right out of the box," Riggleman said. "The trick to making that show work will be to get the word out. Once people know it's on, then it builds its own momentum."

Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston served as moderator, with Superintendent Walt Rulffes, School Board members Sheila Moulton and Carolyn Edwards, and Jeremy Aguero of the Las Vegas firm Applied Analysis, answering questions.

In an adjoining studio, central office employees took viewers' phone calls and e-mails and copied their questions onto cue cards.

Most of the callers stayed on topic, asking about the statewide plan to improve education, class sizes and the next bond measure.

And they asked, why should people with no children have to pay school taxes? Can a 5-year-old handle a full day of kindergarten? What's being done to solve the teacher shortage?

And why hasn't my grandson's teacher or principal returned my daughter's phone calls? (That question didn't make it on the air. District personnel directed the woman's complaint to a region superintendent for follow-up.)

Aguero fielded queries about the complex and convoluted formula used by the state to calculate how much money each school district receives in basic support. The Clark County School District has long complained that it does not receive its fair share of funding because a healthy portion of tax revenue reverts to the state's general fund, even if the money was originally earmarked for education.

The state funding formula needs to be revisited, Aguero said.

Before reading the question about why childless residents should have to pay for schools, Ralston quipped, "I would guess this is probably coming from Sun City."

It's everyone's responsibility to pay for schools because the future of Southern Nevada depends on those students being well educated, Moulton said.

As for full-day kindergarten, Edwards said she has visited classrooms in recent months and was amazed by the level of activity.

"There was no napping," Edwards said.

The show's format provided near-instant feedback. The caller who suggested 5-year-olds needed naps phoned in again, this time to say she hadn't been satisfied with the answer.

As for attracting more teachers to Clark County, Rulffes said he would rather pay them "a sustainable wage" than offer them tax breaks and housing subsidies.

That was the best thing Rulffes has said since being chosen superintendent, a caller remarked.

The next "School Matters" airs from 8 to 9 p.m. April 18.