LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION

Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

School spirit is on an upswing among the Western Warriors.

Anais Nava, student body president of Western High School, has worked on the Homecoming Committee since her freshman year. Nava, a candidate for homecoming queen, said this year's roster of volunteers was the largest she's seen in four years.

"We've been trying to have more pep rallies and spirit days," Nava said. "It seems like it's been easier this year to get students involved."

A $42 million campus overhaul has helped, Nava said.

The renovations include new fine arts buildings, offices and an expanded student quad.

"For a long time we didn't have any place to eat lunch," Nava said.

One of the district's oldest high schools, Western has struggled with academic achievement in recent years and developed a reputation - unfairly, school officials say - as a "tough" campus. There was a decidedly different vibe when classes ended Friday, as hundreds of students streamed toward the football field for a homecoming assembly. The four homecoming floats - one for each class - were based on a pirate theme, and the seniors' entry looked practically seaworthy.

Kathy Snyder, a vice principal at Western and a member of the class of '79, said she's pleased to see students taking more interest in such activities.

"I remember back in the day when the floats were just amazing, but the amount of time it took was incredible and our kids were so busy with everything else," Snyder said. "I think we went through a lull, and now the spirit is coming back."

Gov. Jim Gibbons has asked the Nevada Education Department to cut its budget by more than $1.1 million over the biennium, in light of lower-than-expected projections for state revenue.

Keith Rheault, Nevada's superintendent of public instruction, said Gibbons is requesting reductions in administrative spending of $549,000 in 2008 and $578,000 in 2009.

About 40 percent of the department's administrative funding is used for salaries, and 25 percent is spent on the K-12 testing and assessment programs mandated by state and federal law.

"Those funds are all tied up in contracts and we don't have much leeway there for cuts," Rheault said.

Instead, the department will likely have to forego filling vacant positions or adding new ones. That's particularly problematic given that several divisions have been understaffed for years, Rheault said.

He plans to draft several proposals for making the demanded reductions and will gather input from the State Board of Education when it meets next month in Las Vegas.

So, why not follow the lead of Chancellor Jim Rogers, who has said he won't comply with the governor's request that 5 percent - about $64 million - be trimmed from the state's higher education budget?

"I'll see how far that goes," Rheault said with a laugh.

Can overcrowded campuses find relief without operating year-round? How much money would the School District need for new schools if every site followed a nine-month calendar? If parents and teachers were given a choice, which schedule would they prefer?

These are among the tough questions to be discussed Monday by the School District's Year-Round Calendar Study Group, made up of parents, teachers, administrators and community representatives.

This week's presenters include Paul Gerner, associate superintendent of facilities for the district, who will discuss the ever-rising cost of construction in the Las Vegas Valley and how that is shaping plans for new schools. Jeff Weiler, the district's chief financial officer, will compare operating costs for nine-month and year-round schools.

The group will continue meeting this fall and will present its findings and recommendations to Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes. He's promised to take the committee's report into consideration as the district reviews and revises its policies for determining school calendars.

The group will meet from 1 to 5 p.m. at the district's administrative building, 5100 W. Sahara Ave. , and the public is encouraged to attend.