Gibbons to accept $83 million in federal money for schools

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010 | 12:25 p.m.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons has decided to accept $83 million in federal aid for education and he indicated school districts in Clark and Washoe counties preferred the money be used for additional teachers and not pay raises.

The governor was undecided Wednesday about whether to accept the money because of possible federal strings attached but then said he would take the money if it meant hiring 1,200 to 1,400 teachers for a year.

Gibbons said Thursday that Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes and Washoe County chief Heath Morrison prefer to use the money to hire additional teachers "to reduce class sizes in not only primary grades, but also in upper elementary grades and even in important areas such as high school mathematics."

Gibbons press secretary Daniel Burns said the governor got assurances the money would not go only for pay raises. The governor, in a statement, said “We need to stop using education funds to pay for union dues and layers of bureaucracy.”

The federal bill also includes $79 million for Medicaid, the program that provides health care for low-income citizens.

Gibbons initially said he wanted to see if the federal bill committed the state to additional funding that it couldn't afford. The aid is for one year only.

Gibbons also complained the law “is another example of Washington, D.C., dictating to the states how local governments spend tax money,” similar to President Obama’s health care plan, he said.

“It is continued arrogance of the bureaucrats in the Reid/Obama administration to believe that all 50 states have identical education needs,” the governor said.

School districts can only spend the money on salaries and not on textbooks, student supplies or computers, Gibbons complained.

The governor had proposed eliminating class-size reduction laws for primary grades because the program has never been fully funded or the funding that was approved was diverted by the school districts to other uses.

Gibbons said he hoped accepting the one-time federal money would permit full funding for class-size reduction and allow the determination of whether these class-size programs in primary grades really boost student achievement and performance.