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Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Keith Rheault
Sun Coverage
Sun archives
- School District’s budget woes prompt shuffling of administrators (6-15-2010)
- Jim Rogers offers to lead Clark County School District for free (6-9-2010)
- Clark County teachers sweating out the budget crisis (4-22-2010)
- ‘Almost catastrophic’ budget cuts on horizon for Clark County schools (4-22-2010)
- Clark County teachers face peer pressure on furloughs (4-9-2010)
- School Board rejects moving schools to nine-month calendar (3-26-2010)
- Year-round schools could face calendar shift to save money (3-16-2010)
- Teachers resist increasing pressure to accept pay cuts (2-5-2010)
- Budget crunch puts shorter school year, teacher pay cuts on table (2-4-2010)
- Gibbons: School districts should brace for 10 percent cuts (2-2-2010)
CARSON CITY — The state Board of Education has agreed to slice 10 percent from its upcoming budget as requested by Gov. Jim Gibbons, but members fear the cuts will be much deeper.
The elective board plans to send a protest letter to Gibbons, the two candidates for governor and state legislators.
Board member David Cook of Carson City said public discussions by the candidates for governor, Republican Brian Sandoval and Democrat Rory Reid, are not taking place. The reductions in education could be as much as 30 percent, and “this is a regrettable situation,” he said.
Board President Christopher Wallace of Las Vegas said the proposed reductions are unacceptable and that will be expressed in the letters to the governor and candidates.
Board members said Sandoval and Reid must disclose how they are going to fund education during the campaign, not after the election. “They are not bringing it to the floor,” Board Vice President Cliff Ferry of Elko said.
Ferry said he was voting for the draft budget “with great reluctance.”
The budget for the state Department of Education has to be submitted by Sept. 1 to the state Budget Office.
The proposed biennial spending for the Distributive School Fund that supplies money to local school districts won’t be made until later this year when final figures are received on enrollments.
Keith Rheault, state superintendent of public instruction, said $1.1 million has been cut from the proposed state general fund budget of 2011 from the present spending program of $11.3 million for the department. Any further reductions would mean laying off staff, he said.
He told the board the state’s budget shortfall is estimated at $3 billion for the upcoming biennium. Slicing the budgets of agencies by 10 percent won’t fill the gap.
“There will be a lot more” reductions, Rheault said, adding that state aid to public schools will also be on the cutting table.
There will be 10 percent savings realized in the Department of Education budget by:
• Renegotiating a consultant contract for the high school proficiency examination.
• Transferring two positions in the department to federal funding.
• Reducing the state match on a nutrition education program without jeopardizing a $90 million federal grant.
• Cutting an estimated $200,000 from a scholarship program involving training in the trades, such as hairdressing.
Rheault said the scholarship program is expected to be eliminated by the federal government that supplies most of the money.
The board also agreed to recommend class sizes in the first through third grades be increased from 16 to 18 students to save money in the upcoming year in the distributive school fund.
Rheault said the special session of the Legislature permitted school districts to move some of the money from the class size reduction program to pay for teachers in the later grades.
Rheault also told the board that each state agency has been ordered to present a list of priorities of their programs. The agencies must say whether the program was mandated by the federal government, the courts or state law.
For instance, the Carl Perkins program for technical education receives $5 million in federal aid, but the state must put up a match of $400,000, Rheault said.
He said budget officials consider court orders the highest priority for maintaining a program, followed by the federal government and the state.
Craig Stevens of the Nevada Education Association, which represents teachers, urged the board to return the draft budget to the governor “and to fully fund education.”
Stevens said he realizes Nevada is in tough times, but “education is a priority and a constitutional mandate.”
Gibbons has governed the state of Nevada much like a temper tantruming toddler - all emotion and no vision. He let his personal opinions get in his way of accepting federal stimulus money for the state and has used the singular principle of if-it-involves-money-or-work-you-can-forget-it to guide his actions. He's a pompous fool who has proudly vetoed more bills than any other governor in Nevada history and behaves like a jerk, just because he can. With the lowest approval ratings in the country, he still tries to act viable, even while clouds of ethical misconduct swirl all about him.
Gibbons doesn't care about Nevada. He cares about big and little Jim. What he has done to education is revolting. Kenny Guinn must be turning over in his grave.
I hope you enjoyed your political career Jimbo, 'cause it's over after November.
Isn't Harry Reid bringing in a bunch more money for schools? Where's that going?
uhave2laff...Outstanding!
"Gibbons doesn't care about Nevada. He cares about big and little Jim. What he has done to education is revolting. Kenny Guinn must be turning over in his grave."
THAT is the long and the short of it...
"The reductions in education could be as much as 30 percent, and "this is a regrettable situation," he said."
THAT would spell DEATH KNELL for the great state of Nevader...der...der...der...
Swede...
The dough on the way goes specifically to hire teachers; class-size reduction.
Well, they say that anchor babies from illegal aliens count for 8% of all the USA's children born. It's probably higher than that here in Vegas.
Illegals hit the American poor the hardest. Their opportunities and services are limited because of the large numbers of illegal immigrant babies on welfare, taking up school resources, and in the front of the line at the emergency room.
Being a rich old guy who lives in a gated community, illegal immigration at most only hits me in the wallet. But for a young single working mom, illegals affect their family life.
For decades, the government has done nothing to address this problem except extend services and support to illegals. But with the current and future economic situation, something has to give.
I can hardly wait for the big cut in education budget to become reality. It is then that we will see what the local school board is made up of. Will they have the courage to make major cuts in school administrators or will they continue to harrange and harass teachers and classified personnel for their so called high salaries? A 50-60% cut in all administrative positions is long over due and it will have to happen when the budget for the CCSD is finally cut and cut big time.
Not entirely any politicians fault. we need to realize that with less tax revenue coming in, this is the reality of the situation and we need to plan for it. We can NOT use this as an excuse for our failing schools. Money isn't everything. we just need to spend our money wisely. There are a lot of programs that could be cut (adult education, etc.) and there are positions that could be cut. I'm told there's a large number of teachers that are not in teaching roles, but still getting paid because union contracts don't allow for them to be fired. They need to go. Lots of fat in these systems.
Not an ideal situation, but this shouldn't be a roadblock or an excuse for the education departments/boards and teachers.
K-12 and higher ed is where ALL THE FAT IS. Teachers working 7 hour days for 8-9 months for full-time pay. Teachers the 24th HIGHEST PAID in the country. Two teachers and team teachers taking attendance and correcting papers in class rooms while one teacher talks??? Administrators for every 6-10 teachers! Starting at six figures salaries! I've been in many many schools in Nevada and most are in better condition than homes. Our taxpayers cannot afford to support the opulence. p.s. to CCSD (clark county school district) STOP BUILDING. When we DEPORT THE ILLEGAL CHILDREN you are so OVER CAPACITY ALREADY.
The Clark County School District just appeared before the City Planning Commission to ask for the zoning waivers to build a 400-bus school bus yard in the Northwest. Linda Perri from the Clark County School district said there is bond money for this bus yard and that locating a bus yard in the NW would save the CCSD $3 million per year. Well if you have to cut services at the school district, why not cut or reduce the radius for bus service? Currently service is only offered if you live outside a 2-mile distance from a school. Why not make it 4-miles OR why not have parents be responsible to get their kids to school? That bond money should be used for something other than a bus yard. Linda Perri knows there will be no schools built for several years, so she is trying to keep her job and her staff by building a bus-yard. That money should go to the classroom.
i thought they were getting 83 million
roseanrose,
tellin it like it is!
Slathered fat amid ignorant children, warehoused and bathed in 'Education Standards.' Clueless to their purpose, their power or their potential persona.
Without some change in course, we're destined to continue dropping 60% of our kids, and of those who do graduate & who seek further education, a full 50% require remedial help in the freshman year of college.
The 'silver platter' delivery fails to encourage student flow; it dismisses their drive to master, to become their better selves, to cross into the image of their goals from within and to answer their inner purposeful motivations.
Pablum on a silver platter can't compete with the fire inside. We give them pablum and TV and then wonder why they treat it with a entitlement, nonchalance and disinterest - their future.
Fishing rods supplant whuppin rods - hook 'em up while you can! They'll NEVER forget you.
Teachers are not even in the ball park of the OVER PAID COPS AND FIRE AND OTHER PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, the solution is simpThe real solution is SIMPLE; file BANKRUPTCY, ADMIT we are BROKE, FIRE all public personnel and RE-HIRE any who wish to work for the NATIONAL AVERAGE OF PRIVATE SECTOR (NV cost-of-living is 100 or exactly national average) GIVE same benefits , pay, pensions or- lack- there- of;; that are paid in the private sector. AND for those who whine say "thanks 4 your service and BYE- BYE" and get rid of the wh0res called politicians who put the citizens in this place by selling themselves for the public union's votes to keep them in office!
THIS is 1st STEP= PUT AN END TO OVERPAYMENTS. There are thousands of workers willing to take the private sector national average wage and benefits.
le;
Gee fear education cuts? Make it come true with Reid and Sandoval.. The same people that higher education and lower education endorsed. Go figure. Im beginning to wonder about the state of Nevada. Maybe it shouldnt even be a member of the Union I founded since it seems to be so backwards.
Roseanrose
"Teachers working 7 hour days for 8-9 months for full-time pay."
You should get your facts right before you comment. Teachers are require to be at school before the students arrive and after they leave. They grade papers after school and on weekends. They also have to develop lesson plans after school. This takes at least 2-3 hours a day AFTER the students leave for the day. Perhaps you would like to become a teacher and work 12 hours a day. They must finish and have to work until they do.
Pay? The teachers' pay is for the 9 month school year. Instead of not getting a pay check for 3 months, the district takes the total yearly pay and divide by 12 instead of 9. That means they make less each month.
Teachers must have a Bachelors degree from a college. Many have Masters degrees. A BA and MA takes at least 6 years and lots of money. Do you expect teachers to work for free?
I am sorry if you have a crappy job but don't take your own personal life out on others that are also just trying to make ends meet. Do you have a MA in anything?
We can give the finger to our favorite scapegoats but here is the bottom line: We are a one industry town, and the only growing sector of that one industry is the sex trade. We can cut the education budget and raise our kids for that (sex trade workers don't need much schooling). Or we can put enough money in education to attract at least some new industry, and do whatever it takes to close those deals. What is your choice?
What a crock! Funding for the Department of Education has nothing to do with funding of the individual school districts.
The Nevada Department of Education is not doing 10 million dollars worth of good, in fact it is wasted taxpayer dollars!!!
Two words: STATE LOTTERY!
How about back to basics. We made it just fine in the 1960's - 1970's with 30-32 students in a classroom. and I never had a class with an aide in it. The great majority learned just fine. Sure, every class had one or two kids that were disruptive or slow learners, but that was dealt with by discipline or additional attention by the teacher. Most of those kids eventually caught on and caught up, or ended up in jobs not requiring much education and survived just fine.
The only reason for class size reduction is a power grab by the unions.
Administrative costs have gone through the roof. Many teachers climb up the ranks, get to administrative positions (they earned that through hard work, so no problem there), but then retire and get hired back as "consultants" working a few hours at a very high cost.
Higher education costs are again admistratively top heavy, plenty of fat to cut there.
Too much emphasis is put on "every kid needs a college education". NO, some are not capable or interested in college. Most vocational classes (shop, auto mechanics, cooking, etc.) have been cut and replaced by computer labs. There's no training in these areas for those not college bound. Nothing wrong with computer labs, but shop classes should never have been cut. We still need mechanics, plumbers, truck drivers, carpenters, welders, etc. A college degree is not necessary for those jobs, most can be learned in vocational training if the schools would plant the seed before the kids are turned out at age 18.
"We made it just fine in the 1960's - 1970's with 30-32 students in a classroom." What a classic, I have no touch with reality comment from Barstow. Fifty years ago, are you serious! You and my grandfather should get together for a drink and figure out what to do about the U.S.S.R.
Right on gbigs--everybody wants a free market--so let UNLV become private. Let them charge $100K for a degree to any IDIOT who thinks it's worth it. Today's kids are going to be in such huge debt that they won't be paying for anybody's social security--so screw them.
Deep cost cuts for public schools?
You got to be kidding me. They barely have the money for books, paper, pencils. How can they educate the kids with no money down... shall they put a t.v. set from any parents' home in each classroom and all together watch "Kojak" sucking his sweets?
If public schools don't work anymore, we will need more home schooling with more poor students from UNLV to drop by poor families to teach poor kids how to read, write, calculate and all about American patriotism/history, while their mum and dad are at work doing hardly payed part-time jobs.
Deep cost cuts for public schools ?
What a poor suggestion/decision.
How a bout: more better payed part-time teachers recruited from UNLV students to help out public schools and to help dividing large school classes into smaller learning groups.
Travis, The reality is that in many areas, 30 kids in a classroom is still the norm. Mostly in states where the schools are rated the highest and dropout rates the lowest. I'm talking 40 years ago, not 50 as you stated, and I'm well aware that the U.S.S.R. is no more. Say hi to Grandpa for me, he must be a great guy, maybe he can tell you That Barstow is over 130 miles away from where I'm sitting. Aparently geography was taught better 40 years ago than it is today.
I am in touch with reality, and the reality is that we can no longer afford to pay the additional cost of classrooms being half full, after all, it hasn't seemed to help the kids at all. It's just a power grab by the unions.
Just curious travis, did you read my entire comment, or just the first sentence?
Judging by the idiotic comments above it's obvious that education is going down the tubes across the country. I can't imagine that everyone who posted above is a native Nevadan.
The governor is responsible people so stop trying to change the subject. Words like "anchor baby" and "Harry Reid", which have nothing to do with this story, tell me that people are just using any political story to rant and spread propaganda to further their goals for the upcoming election season.
Oh and by the way people, you're just as much to blame for the state's problems as anyone else. Get involved. Don't just sit at home on your duff and post things to the internet that show everyone just how poor your English grammar skills are. Nevada is a complete mess and because people don't bother to research who they're voting for or don't bother to vote at all we have a state that's falling apart.
The Gaming Industry let the entire state down. While they lured millions of people to Las Vegas to work for them they were lobbying the state to make sure that they wouldn't have to pay higher taxes to provide for the infrastructure needed to support a healthy state.
It's nauseating to be constantly bombarded with stories of Strip swimming pools that cost $70 and up just to get in and get drunk, night clubs where people spend $400 for a bottle of $20 booze, and the bragging articles about locals who spend a thosand dollars on a purse and then fill it with expensive junk, and so on and so on.
I see more Mercedes' and BMWs around and yet hardly a day goes by that you don't pick up the paper and read a story about the complete failure of our education system or medical providers and the state scratching it's head and wondering why we're broke.
All of this whining and crying and political rubbish has got to stop. If you really care about what is happening in our state then you need to do something truly constructive that benefits the state, not just your personal pocketbook and views.
Everyone wants small government and swears that the wealthy will provide for all if given the opportunity. Well it should be obvious by now that greed trumps all and that Nevada is the text book example of what happens when the wealthy and corporations are let off the hook.
From the Republican Herald - "Pennsylvania topped the nation with about $1.1 billion in tax revenue from casinos in the 2009 fiscal year. The take outpaced even Nevada, where the glitz and sparkling lights of gambler paradise Las Vegas help translate to about $832 million in tax revenue."
There are nine casinos in the entire state of Pennsylvania...
This isn't about Harry Reid it's about people like the Fertittas and powerhouse monopolies like MGM and Harrahs. Greed is a sin, my friends; one of the big seven, in fact. But this is "Sin City" so learn to live with the consequences.
Cutting an estimated $200,000 from a scholarship program involving training in the trades, such as hairdressing.
HAIRDRESSING ????? give me a freak'n break!!!!
No wonder they produce idiots.They can't speak correctly,certainly can't spell...and god only knows they can't count. But hairdressing....now there's a huge career choice. Maybe they can get a full scholarship in ping pong. It's a disgrace what the administrators make choices on,in the name of what?....Certainly not in the name of GOOD education.
Thank you Trailspast and Travislv86!
1. Anyone who really thinks teachers are overpaid (Rosenrose) can not really know anything about the education system. Thank you Trailspast for defending us!
2. Anyone who compares the education system with the 1960's and 70's (Bakesfield) can not really understand how the world has changed. I don't even think education can be compared to the 1990's. Every little thing in the world changes, and if we don't change education along with it, we are doing the opposite of educating.
3. Yes, changes have to be made. I'm sure we will have less administrators in our future and I will again have 35+ students. I just hope that everyone who has input on these changes actually understands the education system of today. Ohcalcutagirl and WOXOF, maybe you should be on the school board or in an office. Those ideas should at least be tried.
All the casinos in your state paid in 649 million.. A heck of a lot more casinos here than in pa where 1.1 billion was paid in taxes. Thank the reids, sandovals, angles and all the other want to be leaders for this and for letting it happen. Sandoval was in your legislature and said nothing, reid never has called for anything nor will he ever. And if they do they are lying. Neither one of them will. It will only get worse.
Trailspast and teach5 think that we can print money to pay teachers's salaries, like in the movie "The Counterfeiters". They tried that in Zimbabwe and the result was 2000% inflation. We voted down a parcel tax in Pasadena and they did the same in the L.A. Unified School District. I won't believe there's a budget crisis until they cancel football season. I would have a lot more respect for teachers if they told students--DON'T borrow money to go to college. Unemployment for college grads is 20% and many of them owe Sallie Mae a lot of money. I would rather be in one of Jigsaw's traps in "SAW 6" than be in debt to Sallie Mae. Many RN and education grads are discovering that their careers are NOT recession-proof. I saw this funny article in the NY Times. At some schools students actually have to bring their own toilet paper. LOL
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/busine...