Rulffes wants more campuses ‘empowered’

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Superintendent Walt Rulffes wants to add up to 20 campuses to the Clark County School District’s “empowerment” pilot program, even if most of them likely won’t get the extra funding that has previously come with participation.

The district currently has 17 empowerment schools, which receive extra per-pupil funding and more control over daily operations in exchange for meeting tougher accountability measures. In addition to district dollars, the empowerment schools receive financial support from private donors and community partners.

At a School Board work session today, Rulffes will recommend that up to 15 schools be allowed to apply for conditional empowerment status without extra funding, although they will be given preferential consideration if money becomes available. Additionally, the district plans to apply for a federal grant to convert five of its lowest-performing schools to empowerment campuses.

The U.S. Education Department is offering $3.5 billion — about $23 million would go to Nevada — to the lowest-achieving campuses in each state, provided they are converted using one of the approved models. The district’s empowerment initiative appears to meet the requirements, Rulffes said.

If the School Board supports moving forward, Rulffes said he will put out a call next week for applications from campuses interested in signing on. The selected schools would be announced in early January.

The additional empowerment money, which the campuses use for initiatives such as longer school days and professional development, has long been the pilot program’s biggest lure. Principals receive a 5 percent pay hike and teachers can earn bonuses for meeting a variety of benchmarks, including improving student achievement and receiving positive reviews from parents. Without those financial incentives to sweeten the deal, some schools might be more reluctant to take on the challenge.

The 2007 Legislature approved $9 million to support a statewide empowerment schools initiative, but it was eliminated in the first round of budget cuts the following winter. The Clark County School District expanded its own program even without state funding, and the principals of the newly named empowerment schools said they were willing to continue even without the extra money, Rulffes said. However, a pledge of $13.5 million from the Lincy Foundation, which oversees billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s philanthropic endeavors, allowed the district to continue providing the extra funding.

Most of the empowerment schools have shown academic gains.

Of the four elementary schools — Adams, Antonello, Culley and Warren — that launched the empowerment program in 2005, all but Warren — which struggled in 2007-08 — steadily outpaced the districtwide average achievement gains.

Culley has posted the strongest gains, with nearly three-quarters of its students demonstrating proficiency in mathematics for the 2008-09 academic year, compared with less than a third in 2005-06. In reading and writing, Culley’s proficiency rate was 60 percent, up from 24 percent in 2005-06.

There has been criticism of the district for providing inconsistent and insufficient training to administrators and staff at some of the newer empowerment schools. Rulffes said he’s mindful of the concerns, and has made improved professional development, training and support a priority as the pilot program moves forward.

The School Board’s work session will begin at 9 a.m. at the Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road.