Schools must keep voters in mind

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007 | 7:34 a.m.

After four weeks of presentations, charts, graphs and testimony, it all came down Monday to one hard fact: The Clark County School District's stance on year-round schools isn't just about satisfying parents and staff. It also must sell to voters.

And this might be a time when pleasing voters means alienating many district parents.

In the nearly 10 years since the district last went to voters for construction dollars, it has earned praise from the Nevada Taxpayers Association - and a stellar bond rating - for its management of the current building program. By next year the district will have built 101 schools, 12 more than promised to voters in 1998, and replaced 11 old campuses. All at a cost of about $5 billion.

The district has struggled to placate parents who have resisted year-round schedules because many believe their children get an inferior education under that system and it wreaks havoc on family plans.

But the district might be forced to choose between pleasing voters and pleasing parents. And being frugal with tax dollars likely could trump preserving traditional summer vacations.

Since September, the Superintendent's Year-Round Study Group has been examining the effects of academic schedules on student performance, parent satisfaction and the district's fiscal operations. The group's recommendations will be presented to Superintendent Walt Rulffes next month. He will consider the report when he goes before the Clark County School Board to discuss possible changes to the district's policies and procedures for year-round schools.

All the work is leading up to December when the School Board will decide the parameters of the next 10-year building program. How many schools will be needed and how much in tax dollars will be requested depend on campus schedules.

The study group has heard from a sampling of parents on both sides of the issue. Some said they prefer the year-round system because of the extra programs and services that accompany it, and because their children retain more of what they learn by not being away from school all summer. Opponents said year-round calendars make summer vacations nearly impossible and complicate scheduling activities for siblings on different tracks.

Harley Thompson, who took time off from work to attend Monday's 1 p.m. meeting, said the study group would have heard from more unhappy parents had it met at a more reasonable hour. He was accompanied by his wife and two other mothers. All three families have children attending Selma Bartlett Elementary School in Henderson, which has landed nearly annually on the list of schools being considered for a switch to a year-round schedule.

"If you think we are the only ones scared and upset," said Nikki Butler, whose children are in kindergarten and third grade at Bar t lett, "you are sorely mistaken."

Joyce Haldeman, executive director of community and government relations for the School District, reminded the study group that the testimony needed to be kept in perspective.

"This is a small group of people and yet they are very vocal," Haldeman said. "What the trustees and the superintendent have to take into consideration is how does this reflect the general population of people who vote."

At the time of the past ballot measure, in 1998, just 30 percent of registered voters had children in Clark County schools. Many voters were seniors who had already raised their kids and have families living in other states. The district is determining the latest statistics in advance of the next bond measure "to make sure we run the campaign in the right way," Haldeman said.

Forty percent of the district's elementary schools operate on a year-round schedule . Because those schools have a larger capacity, the district saves $42 per student compared with operating costs at nine-month schools. But the fiscal savings aren't the reason why year-round schools are necessary, said Jeff Weiler, chief financial officer for the district.

Rather, it's the lack of available classroom space that makes it impossible to move the 70,000 students at year-round schools to nine-month calendars. To do that, the district would be short the equivalent of 15 schools.

"I would love nothing better than to go to the School Board and say we'll save an awful lot of money by going to a nine-month calendar," Weiler told the study group Monday. "The driving force here is capacity, not costs." There are no plans to move middle or high school students to year-round schedules. But if the district's worst-case scenario were to play out next year, and voters did not support the new bond measure, it's possible more elementary schools would go year-round and some secondary campuses would be forced to operate double sessions, Haldeman said.

As Monday's meeting wrapped up, moderator Dale Erquiaga asked for preliminary recommendations from members.

How many children are attending a school, and how crowded it is, should be a driving factor, the group agreed. But there also need to be flexibility for campuses with specialized programs and efforts to be fair and equitable to the different geographic regions.

Does anyone believe there should be no year-round schools in Clark County, under any circumstances? Erquiaga said.

Not a single hand went up.