Gibbons seeking overhaul of state education system

By David McGrath Schwartz

Published Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 | 12:16 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 | 1:06 p.m.

Gov. Jim Gibbons will propose a series of ambitious changes to the state's education system in a proposal that appears to be a conservative wish-list of reforms to K-12 schools.

Under the proposal, the state funds to reduce class sizes and provide all-day kindergarten would be eliminated. Some of that money would be returned to school districts but not earmarked for any purpose, giving school districts more control over how that money is spent, according to Robin Reedy, Gibbons' chief of staff.

Additionally, the governor will propose eliminating the collective bargaining statute, which allows teachers and other local government employees — including local government employees like firefighters and police — to negotiate contracts with their employers.

"There's going to be cost saving associated with this but this is taking advantage of a very bad time in the economy, as an opportunity to put forth what the governor philosophically believes," Reedy said. "This is trying to return control of schools to parents and the school districts."

Reedy specifically pointed to the fact that while other state workers have had to take furlough days, teachers unions have not reopened their collectively bargained contracts.

Reedy said that the proposals would be made as part of a special session that the governor is expected to call over the next few months. With Democrats controlling both the Assembly and Senate, it would seem unlikely that anything close to this ambitious gets passed.

"It's up to the Legislature to make these decisions," Reedy said. "We recognize the Democrat control there, but they'll have to make a compelling reason not for reform."

The Economic Forum, made up of five business leaders, will hold a special meeting Jan. 22 to set new revenue projections for the state.

Gibbons is running for re-election this year and faces a contested primary challenge in June.

Reedy and Gibbons' deputy chief of staff Stacy Woodbury said the overall amount that would end up being cut from the K-12 system is not yet determined.

"Not that we need to cut the hell out of education, but could they take furlough days? Could they do anything?" Woodbury said. "Our idea is to take power and control of destiny of public schools and education and take state out of it, except for the academic standard part."

The Class Size Reduction account has been established to maintain pupil-teacher ratios of 16 to 1 for first and second grades and 19 to 1 in third grade.

The Legislature approved $144 million for the fund this fiscal year and $146 million next.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City and chair of the Education Committee, said, "I don't think it has any chance of getting through the Assembly, let alone the Senate."

Many school districts, including Clark County, typically get waivers from the state to get around the class size requirement.

Reedy said a formal announcement will be made this afternoon, when the administration plans to meet with lawmakers and present its plan. Reedy said they had planned to wait, but she believed some of the school districts they had reached out to leaked the news to the press.

The Las Vegas Sun' Jon Ralston first reported the proposals Tuesday night.

Sun reporter Cy Ryan contributed to this story.