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Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 | 10:54 a.m.
Carolyn Edwards
Gov. Brian Sandoval addresses the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at a luncheon held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
Sun Coverage
Sun archives
- Can teachers learn to do more with less money? (2-3-2011)
- Chancellor: University tuition would have to go up 73 percent to cover Sandoval budget gap (1-27-2011)
- School officials warn of jobs cuts, larger classes under proposed budget (1-26-2011)
- A steep climb for Nevadans (1-26-2011)
- Soft words during State of the State hide Nevada in pain (1-25-2011)
- Teachers not pleased with most of Sandoval’s speech (1-25-2011)
- In response, Democrats say taxes might be part of budget solution (1-24-2011)
The Clark County School Board harshly criticized this morning a plan by Gov. Brian Sandoval to use $300 million in Clark County school construction bond money to help balance the state budget.
The board voted 7-0 to oppose the use of such money to balance the budget or "for any other purpose" not approved by voters in the original 1998 vote for the multi-billion dollar bond.
Overall, Gov. Sandoval wants more than $400 million reassigned in what are known as debt service reserves for school districts.
Jeff Weiler, the district's chief financial officer, said complying with the Sandoval plan would force Clark County to raise property taxes or go to the public markets with new higher-interest bonds that would be difficult to sell.
"This is tantamount to a tax increase," said Carolyn Edwards, the school board's president.
Board member Deanna Wright compared the move to a big brother stealing money from a little brother's piggy bank.
Linda Young, a board member, raised the possibility of joining with other Nevada school districts to sue the state over the move.
"This is unacceptable," she said.
John Cole, the newest board member, is a former member of the committee overseeing the $5 billion voter-approved bond. The reserves come from that bond.
"We're robbing Peter to pay Paul," Cole said, "we're robbing the future to pay the present."
There was some irony to the dispute because Dale Erquiaga, a former policy analyst with the district, is now a senior adviser to Sandoval and presumably played a role in his budget plan.
Weiler said selling such new bonds would carry higher interest rates and hurt the district's ability to maintain and repair schools. He said the district would be unable to pay minimum principal and interest payments starting in 2013.
Her voice breaking, Chris Garvey, a trustee, said, "How long do I have to tell my constituents to hold on" because renovation of older schools would be delayed.
Weiler replied, "We're only able to do break/fix maintenance," meaning if a major system like air conditioning breaks, it can be fixed. But carpet, paint and other repairs are done on a 17-year cycle.
Meanwhile, Weiler said the current proposed cuts were equivalent to $870 per student.
The district faces a deficit exceeding $250 million, Weiler said. The number includes a sharp fall in property tax and room tax receipts.
He said that if the deficit isn't eased, it would mean as many as 3,800 layoffs of teachers and other positions.
Edwards, president of the school board, said "for all of the teachers and support staff out there, this is not what we're going to do." She acknowledged "rumors are already running wild."
The district must prepare a tentative budget by April, when layoffs would begin, and a final budget by May. The legislature won't approve a final budget until June.
At the same time, the district must negotiate new contracts with teachers, administrators and support staff.
Stop paying for Class Size Reduction. It has never worked. TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO READ. CUT TEACHER SALARIES. LAYOFF ADMINISTRATORS.
We certainly don't need any new construction, and it sounds like that was the original purpose of these bonds. I'm sure there are some maintenance/repair issues, but the original bonds were done at a time of explosive growth, and likely assumed that we needed to build a new school every week.
We now have a shrinking population, and the performance of schools that we have are terrible. The board needs to focus (almost solely) on improving the poor quality of education in our schools, with a strong focus on the core subjects and STEM initiatives. If we don't have money for those CRITICAL issues/programs, but we have a surplus for other programs because our growth assumptions were incorrect (or have changed dramatically), I don't think it's absurd to shift those funds over, if it's legally possible to do so.
the problem is...
our greasy governor greasy brian...
this clowns cares far more about campaign contributions from mining than he does about the children of nevada...
sad but true...
this greasy slimy slippery phony smiling big toothed clown would rather sit by and watch mining strip the land and send profits out of state and even out of country...
than help the children of nevada...
it's a disgrace...
an unadulterated naked disgrace...
there should be protests in front of the governor's mansion every single damn day...
greasy brian is going to do irreparable harm to the children of nevada...
just so he can continue to get campaign contributions from mining...
REPEAL GREASY BRIAN!!!
and let's not forget...
greasy brian...
our slippery slimy phony smiling big toothed huckster greasy governor...
this clown...
has placed FAR MORE burden on southern nevada than northern nevada...
ladies and gentlemen...
boys and girls...
the time for southern nevada to crush northern nevada is upon us...
RIGHT NOW!!!
It makes no difference if the population is less now than what was to be expected when the bonds were originally sold. The fact of the matter is, this money is meant for school construction. That DOESN'T mean that the district has to build entire new schools, though they could, but could use the money to expand/repair existing schools. If you take that money away, repairs/expansions can't be made.
This issue is no different from the State trying to steal money away from the clean water inititive that Clark County had money set up for the pipe to bring in water. The state taxed businesses (The M Resort was the largest contributer) specifically to fund this project, and then cancelled it. The state then stole the money to put into the general fund, with the M Resort immediately suing to get its $40 million back. And who can blame them?
I'm like most people: I want a balanced budget, an increase in growth, and fiscal responsibility. But nothing that this Governor has proposed, so far, is going to help our future. You can steal all the money in the state for right now, but it does nothing to solve tomorrow's issues of having no money.
Face it: There is no realistic way to balance everything without budget cuts, and tax increases. Stop the waste, spend SMARTLY, and don't wager your children's future on your generations idiotic misdeeds.
And for the love of god, no more MORONIC statements about cutting Teacher salaries. They make very little as it is, and they are charged with educating the children so that they don't make the same mistakes that we have.
roseanrose: Again, you don't have a clue what you are talking about. I never had the amount of students required by law in my classroom, but always had more...ALWAYS.
improvelv:
While your point may be well taken for some areas of the school district, you are dead wrong concerning other areas.
Take the Mountain's Edge community for instance. Right now, there are two elementary schools serving that community. One of the schools has 15 portable trailers which are serving as "classrooms." The other has 9 and is expecting to need several more next year.
The Mountain's Edge community is still growing. New houses are being constructed there as we speak, and the student population for the two elementary schools there (both built within the last three years I believe) is already well over capacity (hence the trailers).
Perhaps it is a fitting commentary on the state of education in Nevada that we are teaching school out of single-wides, but I for one would rather continue to invest in the necessary infrastructure rather than give that money to Sandoval to piss away on state spending that could be better covered with appropriate taxes and revenue that Sandoval has rejected out of hand.
keystone, I completely agree that I wouldn't want that bond money to go back to the general fund to be used for just anything. I would support using those funds in the district (for education only), for purposes other than new construction, but only if it was legal to do so.
Based on what I've heard and seen, Mountain's Edge is a bit of an anomaly, similar to the area out near 95/Cheyenne. Those neighborhoods anticipated the valley to naturally grow into those areas, and created infrastructure before the growth actually occurred. Lots of vacant houses, or underpriced rentals in those areas. If that's true, I don't think it's the county's obligation to make the same mistake, and to make a huge investment in the schools. I suppose they'd have to do some type of cost analysis on bussing those kids to other schools, as opposed to building a new facility.
I honestly don't have any problems with teaching out of a double wide. If they have the same tools, the kids don't learn any less. I have friends that went to the UNLV law school when it was in those trailers by the airport, and they didn't seem to think it was a huge problem (maybe it was just because they knew that a new facility was being built).
As long as the schools are safe, I think our primary/sole focus should be on improving the quality of the education. If investing in the infrastructure of those schools accomplishes that, then go for it, but I don't think it does. I'd rather spend money on sending teachers to national conferences in Science and Math, or reserving funds to give bonuses to high performing teachers, or something along those lines.
"We're robbing Peter to pay Paul," Cole said, "we're robbing the future to pay the present."
At least one member (John Cole) is willing to admit to the public theivery -- perhaps there's hope such robbery will soon end and the public will right themselves and abolish such forms to which they've become accustomed to?
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I'd bet good money that if every citizen gave 100% of everything they made to the government, the government would still run out of money.
Sadly, a panhandler has more pride, dignity and self-respect than these publc parasites -- how do they sleep knowing they advocate and participate in public theivery -- using the innocents of children and the ignorance of the public to justify their evil means?
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Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch etc. caused this recession by selling valueless mortgage insurance and giving Liars Loans at the same time. They made BILLIONS bilking the country - now they are making incredible commissions by "fixing" it back up.
Sue Goldman Sachs and Lynch Merrill. Go after the sleazy thieves that control American Finance and put them in jail for PROFITEERING during a TIME OF WAR.
FWIW:
Goldman Sachs is old money which is deeply rooted throughout the world, the economic engine, the liquidity that lubricates the commerce which makes the world function -- Goldman Sachs is the financing behind businesses, governments and their people -- Goldman Sachs is the money behind Harrahs/Caesars Entertainment -- Goldman Sachs represents the capitalist shepherd which herds the proletariat flock.
Goldman Sachs runs the program - henceforth, untouchable.
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Thank goodness we have smart individuals serving our chilren on the school district. Governor Sandoval and Mr. Erquiaga seem to have no worry or concern for our children in their attempts to rob them of their futures.
Now they want to rob your children of their schoolhouses too! When will enough be enough? What's next?
Raise revenue and fund education, it's the only smart investment for our state. Spend wisely and oversee where the dollars go, but raise revenue so that there are dollars to supervise.
"The Clark County School Board harshly criticized this morning a plan by Gov. Brian Sandoval to use $300 million in Clark County school construction bond money to help balance the state budget."
Justifiably so.
Governor Sandoval only seeks to participate with a national effort. An effort by the Republican Party to bust unions. If not bust unions, he wishes to take all the ills of Nevada out on education...at the expense of the corporations and the filthy rich...in order to balance the budget by using the people who cash checks and use them to survive....but not the people who issue the damn checks.
We need to wake up here in Nevada. Because the same issues that are effecting Wisconsin and Ohio are happening here in Nevada.
Disagree with me all you want, but there is a national effort by the Governors to destroy unions. They are going for power. That's ALL they know. And they ALL do it.
They know they can't win the Presidency. Because President Obama is extremely popular. And they have no way to compete against him in 2012.
So, they are doing a back door way of going about it.
Wake up, Nevada.
Don't let this happen here.
Don't let Governor Sandoval get his way.
Don't give them a foot in the door.
We must fight him tooth and nail. Because we stand a heckuva lot to lose.
Governor Sandoval serves his corporate masters. Not the workers...the teachers...the firefighters...the police...the common man.
He is in the pockets of the filthy rich.
Wake up, Nevada.
Wake up.
Before it's too late.
Pay teachers $30,000 a year? What a dummy!
Casinos and mining need to pay more on taxes. If these big industries care about the future of Nevada then they have to pay more on taxes. By paying a bigger share of taxes comparable to other States equate to investing on our future, our children and their education. Instead of the State robbing the funds meant for the education of our children, casinos and mining should step up the plate and pay more on taxes.
Wages in Nevada are one of the lowest in the country and just imagine if the citizens of NV have to pay more on taxes. There will be nothing left to live on.
The Gov. stated he would bring Jeb Bush in to help with Education Reform. Jeb Bush sits on the board of Empower Software-keep that in mind!
What is this governer thinking, balanced budget?
Why? That would mean limiting entitlements and unsustanable bloated paychecks.
other then tax the rich mentality, which doesn't work, I don't see any eaasy choices.
I do understand it isn't easy but it must be done
Cut costs. Nevada must follow Oklahoma--Legislate that anchor babies are not citizens and ARE CUT OFF FROM WELFARE BENEFITS AND K-12--Babies must be born here LEGALLY to qualify for birth-rite citizenship as precedent and the 14th amendment require.
It sounds good that $300 million from education since government won't cut from all of the aid programs for illegals. This is a victory for illegals!