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By Paul Takahashi (contact) 
Published Friday, April 8, 2011 | 2:27 p.m.
Updated Friday, April 8, 2011 | 3:22 p.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Sun archives
- UNLV professor’s proposal to close 5 Nevada campuses is met with skepticism (2-25-2011)
- UNLV president’s somber warning on budget cuts moves faculty to tears (2-16-2011)
- Regent says it’s time that K-12 shares in budget sacrifice (2-8-2011)
- Higher education officials say Sandoval budget cuts a ‘death sentence’ (2-4-2011)
- Education in forefront of upcoming budget battle (1-30-2011)
- Chancellor: University tuition would have to go up 73 percent to cover Sandoval budget gap (1-27-2011)
The Clark County School District will eliminate 200 bus driver positions and change the start time at 139 public schools beginning in August to address $411 million in proposed budget cuts next year.
The changes have been in the works for two years and would save the district $10 million, or the equivalent of 143 teaching positions, CCSD officials announced Friday.
The school district now employs 1,350 bus drivers. Because the school day is being changed, bus drivers will complete more routes during their shift, eliminating the need for 200 drivers, officials said.
CCSD officials said they hope to address most of the cuts through attrition and the 75 bus driver positions currently vacant. No timetable is set for the district to send official notices to bus drivers.
Despite the layoffs, students outside a two-mile walking radius still will quality for bus transportation, officials said. In addition, buses will remain segregated by school levels, meaning students from different levels will not be riding on the same bus.
The school district also announced it is changing the school bell schedule for 139 schools, 70 of which will see a change of more than 30 minutes. Most of the schools are starting later -- although some will start earlier -- with changes ranging from five minutes to 70 minutes. There will be no effect on the amount of instructional time.
“These are very difficult times and everyone must work together and share in the sacrifice as we try to save money,” said Dr. Lauren Kohut-Rost, deputy superintendent of instruction. “Students’ families will have their routines change a bit, and this can be a challenge with siblings of various ages, so we want to give parents plenty of time to start thinking about how they will accommodate the needs of their family.”
Additional minor changes to bell times may still occur, but a complete list of 2011-12 school bell times is available online at www.ccsd.net. Parents may also contact their child’s school for more information.
And here come the wave of selfish parents who only care about the disruption to their schedule instead of seeing how this change would benefit the school district as a whole.
NO measure to cut either primary, secondary, or higher education, and therefore the economic engine of this state, would need to be considered if we had a Governor who would be willing to tax the foreign corporations who have made massive profits off of selling pieces of Nevada (gold, silver) outside of the country. WE SUFFER while the rich make more and more money off our suffering. And they pay Brian Sandogibbons off through campaign contributions.
The Chamber of Commerce, hardly a liberal group, has repeatedly told lawmakers that cutting education will not help the recession-it will extend it and hurt our state's future. BUT THE REPUBLICANS WILL NOT LISTEN. Its time to MAKE them listen. Call your legislator today and DEMAND that they stand for the people of this state and against these foreign mining corporations-they need to pay their fair share. 1-800-978-2878.
William, please stop with the rhetoric. Cutting school buses no more effects the quality of education, than trimming hair effects the baldness of one's head. Your ranting begs the question, is it the republicans that will not listen, or is it rather the bumbling incoherent rants from people who can't put together a cohesive argument that causes others to tune them out?
Think of the money they would have saved if they implemented this two years ago. The schools just can't wean themselves from the public dole.
deport republicans
No impact on instructional time? That is a flat-out lie. The school I work at is losing 9 minutes a day. While that doesn't sound like a lot, that is 45 minutes a week, and 1,584 minutes (over 26 hours worth) over the course of a school year.
Sun, do some checking into what the district is telling you. Just by looking at the documents you can prove that instructional time is being reduced.
Deport republicans?!?!?!?! How about we deport all of the illegal immigrants and their collection of children who rape the system dry!!! I dropped by son off at school this morning and a NON ENGLISH SPEAKING mother walked her 6 children, all elementary aged across the street to school. It reminded me of a mother duck and her ducklings. They spoke to one another in spanish. Guaranteed these 6 children all receive a free education, free school meals, and all qualify for free safe-key after school. A very good possibility exist that the home is government subsidized, they live on welfare, receive free medical and dental programs, and are on food stamps. ALL PAID FOR BY ENGLISH SPEAKING WORKING CLASS AMERICAN CITIZENS that pay their taxes to support "ILLEGAL" and lazy people.
how about: deport the politicians AND the illegals? I am sure that 200 more on unemployment won't hurt the local economy at all (surely I jest.)
It's all good in the 'hood though if you're a politician or a deep pocketed corporate lobbyist greasing the hands of greasy Brian.
hey, we should move to impeach now before he does anymore damage. if they could do it to Gray Davis in Cali we should be able to do it here. just don't make the same mistake they did and replace Sandy with some illiterate, racist, sexist druggy who wasn't even born here and can barely speak the language.
bornandraised, I'm not really sure of your point. What proof do you have that the family is illegal? My nieces and nephews speak in Spanish to each other all the time and also to me and I reply in Spanish (I'm black). They speak both languages so they can become interpreters for the government or some private business that needs interpretation. Still not sure of your point...
People remember, there are still LEGAL Mexican Americans here. Just because you hear someone speak Spanish, doesn't mean they are here illegally.
Good start, but not enough, why not eliminates bussing for all high school students, including those beyond the two mile distance. The RTC could provide reduced fair for students. As our state ranks among the fattest population the exercise of walking or riding bikes to school would be beneficial.
Allow for open enrollment, students should be allowed to attend any high school, with the proviso that if the school is not in their zone the school can refuse.
Outsource the sub service. The private schools obtain their subs from outsourcing organizations. This would allow for, significant cost saving without reducing educational staff
Not only do the PARENTS need to be prepared, but all the EMPLOYERS here in Las Vegas Valley, need to cooperate in this fiasco. Now, all these folks will need to adjust times to work with what is going on with the school district. Shame on Governor Sandoval and his callous attitude towards the people of Nevada!
IF the mining, casino, resort, and construction industries did what was RIGHT by the people in the State of Nevada to begin with, we would NOT be having these kind of conversations. Especially the mining, casino, and resort industries, who USED hundreds of thousands of illegal cheap workers, paid next to nothing in taxes, expanded their empires beyond Nevada's borders, and have turned their backs on the people here. Shame, Shame, Shame.
Slight glimmer of light. IS THERE INTELLIGENT LIFE AT CCSD? Maybe some. Small step. Let's take some giant steps now.
Our tax base has DECREASED. Any idiot wanting to increase taxes on a decimated economy needs serious help with logic. Doesn't matter how much money mining has or hasn't. Teachers are NOT ENTITLED to tax for their pleasure. ALL government services must be NECESSARY and EFFICIENT. K-12 is BROKEN and MONEY WILL NOT FIX IT. Further, this nation cannot support 20 million DEPENDENT ILLEGALS PLUS THEIR ANCHOR BABIES without a SERIOUS DECLINE IN OUR STANDARD OF LIVING. We must STOP PAYING THEM TO COME HERE. Cut em off all aid so they GO HOME. Also would be nice if 2nd and 3rd generation ILLEGALS GO HOME.
Chunky says:
While unfortunate, the cuts should not be a surprise. This train has been on the track headed this way for a long time. Save the deranged derailed comments for another day.
They saved the equivalent of 143 teaching jobs so they say by cutting nine minutes of school per day.
If that's all we have in the budget, that is all we can afford.
If the additional nine minutes were so critical to the hearts of educators, you could have either shed the teaching positions or taken an across the board pay decrease.
Businesses, governments, families and individuals around the country are having to cut hours, income, expenses and learn to do more with less. It sucks but educators are not exempt.
There are few winners in the current economy but the economy will eventually cycle back up. Until then we have to make do with what we have
That's what Chunky thinks!
This is about controlling our lives. We have had these school hours for years & this guy comes in & changes everything? SHUT THIS CITY DOWN PEOPLE!
Change is good, April. We need to shut down some of the K-12 carte blanche spending. And if we don't get many many of the illegals out of here now we're gonna have in WORSE NEXT BIENNIUM. You want to save jobs, fire the 140,000 illegals stealing jobs from our 99ers. Even on minimum wage, Americans can share rent and eek out a living INSTEAD OF BEING HOMELESS AND ABANDONED by all the blessed teachers and illegal babies.
If you are mature enough to make a baby, you are mature enough to get your kid to school. The free ride from tax payers should end. Young families are taking all the revenue from the rest of us. There is no money for rail, seniors, or anyone but people with kids.
50% of all taxes goes to education. Then add in the welfare and free programs these families want. Time to make parents pay for their kids.
We need a serious COL DECREASE for public employees, especially Clark County, City of Las Vegas and CCSD.
April--see bananaboat's comments above.
On the bright side, think of the oxygen our kids will get!
Walking two miles before school gives a kid the stuff she/he really needs to handle the sitting, thinking amdlearning. It's free!!
The human heart and brain require 30% of the total oxygen in the body, though their combined weight is barely 6 pounds. We need physical activity to get that stuff IN there.
Walking or biking enables Johnnie and Janie to get the engagement of their powers that they would never get by riding a dumb and expensive bus with a bunch of lousy mouth-breathing goons. We're better off doing it the old-fashioned way, the cheap way - on foot.