Senate approves bill for education overhaul

By Cy Ryan

Saturday, May 30, 2009 | 7:55 p.m.

CARSON CITY – A bill to overhaul the hierarchy of education has sailed through the Senate 21-0 after its sponsor said it would position Nevada to make future improvements in the public schools.

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Horsford said Senate Bill 330 calls for closer evaluation of how the students are progressing or not progressing.,

Nevada, he said, was anywhere from 43rd to 50th in the nation in funding the public schools. And he said the state was near the bottom in such things as graduation rates.

The 10-member state Board of Education would be replaced by an elective-appointive board. And many of the education advisory committees would be eliminated.

But Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, cautioned not to expect a dramatic increase in student test scores. He said the problem is with the parents and allowing their children to watch television.

Horsford said the Legislature saved the public schools from “draconian cuts” in their budgets. But he added this is “not just a financial solution.”

“We’ve positioned our state for the future,” said Horsford, D-Las Vegas.

A new state Board of Education would have one member elected from each of the three congressional districts. The governor would appoint one member, the Legislature would select two persons and the Nevada System of Higher Education would name one non-voting member.

The board would “establish clearly defined goals and benchmarks for improving the achievement of pupils in this state…” Some of the goals include improving the percentage of pupils who enter high school and the percentage of students who graduate.

Horsford said, “It will be difficult now but it will be the right think in the future.”