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twitterEDUCATION:
Overtime pay buys safety at sports events, officials say
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- Jan. 7 -- District dozen hit jackpot with overtime pay
- Taxpayers save, thanks to overtime crackdown (1-14-2008)
- Overtime total jumps again (8-3-2007)
- OT costs surge, point to taxes that could’ve been spent more wisely (4-15-2007)
- The advantage of public service (2-18-2007)
- Roofer super’s super riches: Bigger bucks than boss (9-28-2006)
- School district police made $1 million-plus in overtime (5-5-2004)
Student safety shouldn’t be a casualty of the School District’s plans to trim overtime costs, officials say.
From July 2007 through June 2008, the district spent more than $14 million on overtime, totaling 411,905 hours of work. From July 1 through Jan. 1, district employees racked up 155,541 hours of overtime, at a cost of $5.75 million.
Of the 12 employees who each worked at least 1,000 hours of overtime from January to November 2008, five were school police officers. The bulk of School Police overtime comes from athletic events.
Typically, six officers are assigned to a high school football game, said Ray Mathis, executive director of instructional support and student activities. For a game between rival schools with a history of problems, an even larger police presence would be required, Mathis said.
School Police has 145 officers, with another 13 new hires in training. The department is budgeted for 175 officers. Fifteen games might be played on a Friday night, and there aren’t enough School Police officers available to cover all of them. Officers from municipal agencies fill the gaps. But that’s a more expensive option, Mathis said.
Several years ago fights were common at games, and it was not unheard of for spectators to be caught with weapons. The district revised its security procedures, including requiring spectators to show identification and to pass through a checkpoint.
So far this school year there have been few problems at athletic events, said School Police Lt. Ken Young, the department’s spokesman.
“We’ve had one or two fights and no weapons that I can recall,” Young told the Sun.
The presence of School Police at the games is “absolutely” a factor in the decline in violent incidents, Young said.
•••
There’s been something of a coup d’etat in the School Police union.
School Police Officer Mike Thomas is now president of the Clark County School Police Officers Association, replacing Sgt. Phil Gervasi.
But that doesn’t mean Gervasi is out of the game. He’s president of the newly formed Clark County School Police Sergeants Association. Gervasi told the Sun he’s submitted the required paperwork for district recognition of an independent bargaining unit, representing the department’s 16 sergeants. The intent is to negotiate “our own contracts, separate from the police,” Gervasi said.
Las Vegas Metro and Henderson police departments have separate associations for the sergeants, lieutenants and captains. North Las Vegas Police has one union for all ranks.
The larger the organization, the more likely there will be separate associations, said Chris Collins, executive director of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association. For a department as small as Clark County School Police, one association might be more realistic, Collins said.
“It takes a lot of money, especially if you end up in arbitration over something,” Collins said. “I don’t know that 16 people can support that.”
•••
Teacher Ben Salkowe spends a lot of time talking about college with his fifth grade students at Laura Dearing Elementary School — why it’s important to be ready academically and what opportunities can come with a degree.
Now his class has been invited to spend the day at the Claremont Colleges outside Los Angeles. They’ll get to meet with professors, take part in experiments at the science center and eat with college students in the dining hall.
The cost of the trip is about $3,000. That’s too steep for the campus budget at Dearing, which serves a high-poverty student population drawn from neighborhoods behind Boulder Station.
So Salkowe has taken his plea online via DonorsChoose.org, a Web site that helps teachers secure funds for classroom supplies, field trips and projects.
He’s one of 14 Clark County teachers who have posted requests for financial support on the site.
Salkowe is in his second year with Teach for America, a program that trains recent college graduates to work in at-risk schools. He’s also looking for $275 to buy four iPod Shuffles, which would be used to help students with reading comprehension.
To find out more about the requests, go to
www.DonorsChoose.org and enter Salkowe’s name or “Las Vegas” in the search field.
Discussion: 36 comments so far…
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They should either charge prices to the games to pay for all that expensive OT or they should not play the games at all.
With all the people that have lost their jobs over the last year and half I would think they would hire someone just to cut the overtime out.
If CCSD has a football game that they "think" requires more than six police present to control the violent youth then close the game to the public.
Let the student athletes achieve success. Parents could be allowed to watch the games by preregistering and showing ID at the game.
CCSD is so poorly managed it defies imagination. Unions are running the Board and Walt is a tool.
In the teachers' contract there is a clause that specifically states that ALL teachers will complete ALL work on their own time -- and they will NOT be paid over-time pay to complete this work.
CCEA doesn't even attempt to remove this clause from the contract. I wonder why?
Indentured Servitude .... Alive and Well in CCSD!
jfnance32,
I've read many of your posts and all I can do is shake my head and pray for you. What a miserable, unhappy person you must be.
"Too many bleeding hearts who focus on words. Not content."
I've focused on your content. I find much of it shockingly shallow and hateful. But I have never flagged it or told you it wasn't allowed. I just wish you would be a little less inciteful and a little more thoughtful.
FYI, that $14 million in overtime wasn't all spent on paying the District Police Department's overtime.
It says "From July 2007 through June 2008, the district spent more than $14 million on overtime...". That can mean bus drivers, landscapers, painters, roofers, campus monitors, electricians, police, etc...
The School Police ARE real police officers. They attend the same academy as North Las Vegas PD, Henderson PD, and every other local agency except for Metro. School Police are Post I Certified just like everyone else. They have arresting authority throughout the entire state of Nevada, just like everyone else. And yes, they could even write you a ticket for speeding, just like everyone else. They've certainly passed the "real police" officer's test.
This is not just about football games, even though the bulk of School Police overtime comes from athletics. This is about having Police available to immediately respond anytime to protect the safety of a student, teacher, administrator or member of the public while present at a school sponsored event. (Which BTW they do charge admission to pay for.)
Their presence discourages multifarious potentially dangerous situations. It's proactive instead of reactive.
It also protects the School District from frivolous lawsuits because protection is provided, even if it does not need to be used. That saves the district money, too.
It is cost that much to prevents students from killing each other at football/basketball games then why have the games at all.
They should either stop the games or charge an entrance fee that will pay the OT.
Ticket sales do mostly pay the cost of the overtime. Each school is charged for their specific event's OT and they pay it out of the revenue from the event.
If it is a free event (like a choir concert or an orchestra performance) it is my understanding that it comes from the school's budget.
I have doubts that your statement is true or the CCSD would have paraded that out a long time ago when they talked to the Sun reporter.
I tried engaging you, Fallon, on your absurd and factually-deficient claims that the U.S. government perpetrated 9/11.
My factual and evidence-based arguments were met with name-calling and homophobic slurs from you.
How's that for "content?"
You say you want to protect the "discussion" but refuse to adhere to the rules that are easily accessible at the link to the right of your comment box.
Stop whining about your comments disappearing and try to engage in the discussion with facts, not insults.
Well, since I have a brother in law on Metro, one on NLVPD and another on the District Police Department, I have done my homework and am quite sure that my statement is accurate.
BTW, Metro and NLVPD and Henderson each charge the district $100 per hour for OT as a flat rate fee to cover not only the officer's pay rate but also for equipment usage, like their vehicles, radios, computers, etc.
Obviously it's more cost effective for the district to have their own department.
CCSD have their own police. The OT in question in this article is coming from charge backs from area police. It is coming from their own police officers.
They had at least 3 (probably more) CCSD police officers that took home over $120k in a 10 month period.
I doubt that you are privy to the amount of money that they take in per game event, the cost of putting on the event and the money that they have left over (doubt any is left over) to pay OT to CCSD police officers to watch over the games.
"Don't be the Discussion Police."
Name calling, hatred, and intentional offense are useless to any discussion.
I don't understand why the CCSD has to pay overtime for the events. Why not hire security people part time for secutity at the events? Pay less and still have security. With unemployment so high, I'm sure they can fine people qualified.
To Sunvisitor,
Farming it out to a security company would result in paying for services from a private security firm AND paying Metro or Henderson or NLVPD. Security guards don't have arresting authority. They can't collect evidence. They can't issue tickets, etc. The most they can do is detain a subject until another agency arrives. They would have to call other agencies in every time they had a case which would result in the district being billed MORE than the current amount they pay their own Police Department...including all the overtime. It would not be cost effective.
The district does however have it's own Campus Security Monitors at each event to supplement the presence of school administration and School Police. They don't earn as much (cost effective) because they aren't accredited Police Officers. Campus Security just lacks the authority to do much when it comes to police activities.
". The most they can do is detain a subject until another agency arrives. They would have to call other agencies in every time they had a case which would result in the district being billed MORE "
I do not think the police charge entities for responding to a 911 call and arresting somebody that is detained.
I believe that is part of the normal everyday service they provide to the community.
It makes sense to outsource event security to a private firm at a reduce cost as oppose to paying OT. Private security guards are frequently used across the nation at sporting events.
No, the money allocated by the state to our district to pay the School Police would then have to go to Metro. A Metro case study determined that, not only could they not provide the full amount of full time and over time services that the District Police provide, but that it would cost twice as much for less service. Not to mention paying security on top of that cost.
They can't handle the calls for service that would be generated by a private security firm and would most definitely bill the district.
The result would be no full-time in school officers and paying Metro twice as much AND paying a private security firm.
CCSDPD operating costs are currently less than 1% of the entire district's budget.
Why don't they just hire more people? Add some more job openings and give the jobs to people who need the jobs. It would help the economy. If they can afford that much OT, they can afford to open up and offer more job positions.
See the pie chart on page 3 of the address below to see where I got the "CCSDPD operating costs are currently less than 1% of the entire district's budget."
http://ccsd.net/directory/budget-finance...
"Has anyone else noticed that johnevegas and his little buddy thebs are gayanging up on me?"
My my my. Sensitive too. Look whose being a discussion cop. It's like hateful and being thin-skinned go together.
Just close down the schools and teach kids with internet courses. We wont need but a few teachers for the whole country. We wont have to by buildings, buses, property pay overtime or even regular time. As for sports it will all be private sector. They are already doing this is in the remote parts of Africa. It is the cheapest way to educate a population. The smart kids move at their own pace. Schedules can be set by the family not the government. Then us tax payers dont have to pay for your day care.
Call Paul Blart, Mall Cop for security.
CCSD police are a joke. They never hassle students with gang affiliations. They hassle the kids that are NOT in gangs because they are easier to handle. I have NEVER seen a CCSD police officer worth any more than a mall cop at the Boulevard Mall.
ALL sports events should be held during the day with CCSD cops getting what ticket takers (teachers) get per game -- $6.00. Don't believe me; ask a teacher who does this.
"Just close down the schools and teach kids with internet courses."
You know what? That strikes me as a really really interesting idea. Maybe not totally switch, or mandate, but there is some thread of value here that is worth considering.
Wouldn't it be great to create neighborhood collectives that could do this together with parental guidance? Small groups of students and parents that follow an online curriculum with live, recorded, and interactive teachers via the web, all within a home on their own block. No bus. No classroom.
I really really like this!
been watching the convos quietly til now. why compare mall security to police officers? you show no respect for someone who keeps you safe at your school. no wonder teachers don't make any money out there, if they're all as ignorant as ccsdteacher.
Lasvegas,
Good old-fashioned original thinking. That's what we need more of. Love the idea, I'm surprised no one has ever tried to do this as an elective choice. As long as responsible parents are running the class with a teacher to help back it up, I think it could work. Of course there'd probably be a couple of bugs to work through, but there is a definite possibility that it would be successful. Why hasn't anyone tried this yet?
How about this?
For parents who want to opt out of public school then they get half of the funds for their child. The other half stays with the school. The school get funding without the cost associated with training that child. They could increase teacher salaries which is the core goal of teacher unions.
Lord Rogers promoted this idea.
To CCSD Teacher (only),
I dare you to go up to one of the Officer's at any game or on the street for that matter with the garbage you speak of. I GUARANTEE you that you would be singing a different tune possibly from the back seat of a patrol car.... Also, if you are so OBVIOUSLY disgruntled, then why don't you do the School District, Budget, and this State a favor and LEAVE. I'm glad that I don't have kids being taught by you... You seem to be very ignorant and uneducated by the way you post nonsense on this board. By the way you comment, you DON'T DESERVE a pay raise. As a taxpaying citizen, I would be appalled at the fact that I knew my money would be contributed to YOU getting a raise..... Your a disgrace to teachers and should quit. My 2 Cents
I have spoken to several CCSD cops, and I can say that they will confirm my allegation that they don't like hassling gang members. One of these cops told me and other teachers that they are afraid of the repercussions that could have occurred on school grounds to police officers. Yes, they hassle the non-gang members because it's safer. The funny thing is that teachers have gang members in their classrooms, and we handle them the best we can. I guess the ones that hide away in their television-screen offices drinking giant Big Gulps are too afraid to come out and do their jobs. So please "NeedtoKnowBasis" I am very glad I don't have your kids in my classroom. I hope they are not being hassled by the CCSD cops -- of course if they are gang bangers, you have nothing to fear from them. BTW - I am not disgruntled; I am perturbed by someone who likes to throw garbage at teachers like yourself. You are a piece of work.
CCSD Teacher, (only)
Thank you for the compliment, however you should look in the mirror and judge yourself before you judge others and make statements on here out of shear ignorance before you do the proper research. Also, I'm not throwing garbage at teachers, just you and your comments.
Just because you have had bad experiences with some CCSD Police Officers in the past (because it's obvious you don't like police), I'm sure that doesn't mean that all of them conduct their business that way. It would be nieve of you to group the agency together as a whole and say that all officers are that way don't you think?
The bottom line is this, they are REAL POLICE OFFICERS whom are no different than any other agency in this valley. Just because it says school district police on their cars, doesn't mean that they can't act on other crimes happening in their presence while not at a school. The schools are just the primary jurisdiction they cover... You don't ask security guards to do traffic enforcement with other agencies. Reason? They can't because they are not Police Officers... So this brings me to my point.... Why is it that you seen School Police Officers conducting traffic enforcement with local agencies last week (news broadcast) outside of a school? Well, I will tell you.... because they are POLICE OFFICERS and thats what they do (protect the public and make it safe for others)... Case and point, end of story...
With that said, everybody is entitled to believe what they want but know this; opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one. Ignorance is bliss.
Good day.
Comment removed by staff.