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By Paul Takahashi (contact) 
Published Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 | 4 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 | 6:34 a.m.
The Clark County School District's tax initiative to fund school renovations has failed. The capital improvement plan lost steam even before the final votes were tallied Tuesday night, as more than two-thirds of voters said no to the tax increase in early voting. Nearly 463,700 Clark County residents cast early ballots for Question 2, according to the Clark County Elections Department. There were 312,128 votes — or 67 percent of all early votes — cast against the School District proposal. "That majority is pretty wide," said Joyce Haldeman, the district's associate superintendent of community and government relations, shortly after early ...
It was not the recession that defeated this bill, it is the incompetence of CCSD to effectively use the money we have already approved for them. Simply put, they are not good stewards.
boftx....I WHOLEHEARTLDY agree. They school needed to be repaired before but the district WASTED the money. Time to buckle down and get "creative".
It went the way it should - down in flames. Now we should privatize the failed system. It is and has been an utter failure for decades - cranking out functionally illiterates by the drove. Any such private enterprise would long ago have folded. But, because it's a taxpayer funded bureaucracy, it just slogs along draining our pocketbooks while producing one disasterous result after another.
So $6/month is too much? NPRI needs a lesson in fifth grade math: an 'average age' of 22 years for Las Vegas Schools DOES NOT mean that a 50 year old school is 22 years old.
Technology companies will not be moving to a State that doesn't understand fifth grade math.
Typical Democratic vote. We want everything fixed, funded for free, paid for by the government, but we don't want to pay for it. Very sad that you vote for money spenders and then when it's your money you turn and run the other way. At some point you will realize that you are the government. Nothing is free, everybody pays. A simple concept beyond the grasp of the Nevada people.
NV is 50th in education. The reason is not because of inadequate funding. The voters/citizens can't afford to throw good money after bad. If politicians feel more money is the sole answer to bringing education out of the basement, they should approve a state lottery with the proceeds going solely to education and not into the general fund.
Voters in Arizona kicked a school tax increase to the curb as well..
I would have voted for this proposition if the economy is in better shape. It is very hard to pay more if your mortgage is already underwater and any additional taxes, no matter how small, is like rubbing salt on an open wound.
"We want everything fixed, funded for free, paid for by the government," "So $6/month is too much?"
"NV is 50th in education."...................... Well the Chameleon party and the 47%ers pretty much proved that last night.
I am so pleased that more money is not being thrown at a system that is such a train wreak.
The School System has failed the County AND it's students for Decades. In Lean and Fat Times the Results have always been Poor. Even in the Race To The Top funding application the Teachers Union was incredibly difficult to work with in establishing Teacher and System accountability. Additionally, Politician have been giving the School System Lip Service since they can deny direct responsibility. The Entire Management Structure of the School System needs overhaul with the Superintendent being a Direct hire by One Political Official.
Property Taxes to fund Education must be changed as the Majority of the Population no longer has attachments to the Public Education System and Property Tax initiatives become impossible to pass. Mining (Especially Mining), Gaming and a Progressive Income Tax must be considered in place of Property Taxes and allow for the First 100k of Home Value to be eliminated from Taxes.
Now after this election that we've seen the amounts of money our Billionaires have to throw out the window for Politics, compared to their minimal expense in philanthropic giving in this Community that got them where they are - It's time for a Minimal State Tax on them.
Thank God the voters are coming around. Let's NOT follow California into the ocean. The million or so illegals they take in each year has bankrupted California and threatens Nevada. We must DEMAND K-12 perform and obtain good results--graduates who can read and write, who can sustain themselves with modest income from entry-level jobs. Graduates need to have options like knowing how to find an affordable place to live, find room mates, buy economical groceries, prepare meals, manage an income, utilize contraception effectively, offer something worthwhile in developing a relationship. K-12 has FAILED and keeps failing. Higher ed is even worse--no results for multi-millions and billions every year. Now they want to import out-of-state students so Nevada taxpayers can subsidize THEIR higher ed???? We need some priority rearrangement in the alleged "accountability" that Klaich keeps harping about.
Not yet, NOT EVER. Clean up your act CCSD/NSHE.
I'll be curious to see if polls show "who" voted "for what" re school tax...
I'm living/dying in Vegas, childless. I have 2 school age nephews in Boulder City, a 4 yr old grandniece & twin 9 mth old grandniece & nephew in Henderson ; my "younger than me" stepmother, widowed, owns a home in Vegas that flipped from $226 to $120k...she's out of state now, renting the house out at $400 LESS than the monthly mortgage.
I called her, as a property owner the proposal more directly affected her pocketbook than my liberal mindset.
Before I finished reading the proposal to her, she invited me to please vote yes; that as a childless 23 yr.Vegas resident she KNEW the schools were deplorable AND THE TAX WAS NECESSARY.
P.S. we're ALL Democrats.
Question 2 failed because of the inept Administration and School Board that has been putting politics and dirty tricks over the education of our children. The CCSD has been at WAR with the Teacher's Union, playing layoff games and lying to the public. When I see these games I vote appropriately. Why would the tax payers of Clark County reward these doofus's with money when that frees up other money so they can fight against the best interests of our children?
This defeat has nothing to do with the economy and everything to do with the failure of Jones and the CCSD Board.
I think the problem with the CCSD schools isn't the condition of the buildings, but what is going on inside them. No amount of tax money will fix that problem. It also won't get parents more involved with their children's education.
So the Obama supporters will take money from others but refuse to give to better their communities, typical entitled mooches.
I cant believe they had the bells to try and put more taxes on the poor and middle class. Myself I would of voted for this, and so would a lot of others if big business in this state, casinos, Mines and more would of stepped up to the plate and payed more taxes, but they refused. Tax the folks raping the State then you will get more people willing to pitch in. While your at it, break up Clark County School district, and dump millions in bloated salaries and put it back in the schools
Obviously, voters didn't defeat the much-needed revenue for school maintenance, NPRI did. Why do they care and who do they represent? The antagonists in a war on public education warrant scrutiny.
It's ironic that voters feel overtaxed, even as we funnel more energy and resources toward business growth by extending a menu full of generous tax breaks and incentives to new, as well as existing businesses. Every year the list of taxpayer-funded shopping centers, sports arenas, tourist venues and private corporations grows, typically with little input from the public. Nevadans seem to believe that schools don't need another taxpayer penny, but businesses do. It reveals the business-centric hollowness of soul that impedes this state.
Doesn't anybody, especially in the school administration, see this as a sign to stop wasting money on the inept administration and put the money where its needed. Like into the buildings, teachers and for the kids. Instead of fixing the issues they see will it as "the voters just hate public schools" and "it's just the economy", we will just try again later.
It used to be that the casino industry paid for most of the public expenses. Back when the mob ran the casinos. Now that a new form of mob has taken over, they don't want to pay for anything.
Don't worry. Uncle Harry will go to the Messiah and get some federal $$ so we'll end up paying through the nose for it one way or another.
There is and always has been plenty of money for CCSD. The problem is they are MASSIVE WASTERS of this money.
Too many administrators, counselors, aides, psychics, coaches, baby sitters, nose blowers, trips, conferences, etc., etc.. an endless list of funds that do not go to education or maintenance.
GET EFFICIENT CCSD....NO NEW TAXES.
Those supporting such issues have been freed from its mandate and can now provide the requested funding voluntarily.
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Give it more time. We'll get more people registered to vote and ensure that Nevada remains permanently Blue.
This Bill failed because the Taxpayers read thru the lies the School Board used to present their case. First, they wanted over a Billion dollars. When that didn't work, they threw 600 million up against the wall and hoped it would stick. Next, there was no guarantee that this money wouldn't be touched if Union demands went to arbitration. The normal maintenance and repair dollars have been reduced over time because they were taken for salaries. The Taxpayer have read the lies and voted correctly.
The district's "associate superintendent of community and government relations" can't figure out the problem? Maybe the assistant to the district's associate superintendent of community and government relations has an answer, or maybe her secretary.
most common people in las vegas do not seem to value education. that being said, the ADULTS running the school system do have a history of being inept. information sharing will happen; the loyalties of the CHILDREN will be with those who weren't dicks.
@ Bob realist: Actually I am surprised it didn't pass. I mean this stae is so Demcratic and they are all about government funding education, yes it was a surprise. Of course that would mean higher taxes. Don't think anyone wants that.
chuck333,
I don't think Nevadans in general mind paying taxes for services received, but the services received MUST represent a fair value for what is paid.
CCSD (and all of the associated unions) have demonstrated time and again that they are not good stewards of our tax money.
why don't we fire the "superintendent of community and government relations" and 100 of the other do nothing administrators in this HUGE over bloated titanic and use the savings to fix the schools and hire some teachers instead of "administrators" who send emails and memo's to each other all day.
It's not the home owner's fault the government can't manage money.
I voted NO and I'll do it again.
The little stunt that the union did recently probably did not help any.
If they kick out all the illegals then they probably can closed about 1/3 of the schools or more.
@Sgt Rock. SCOTUS has said that public schools MUST educate any student who enrolls regardless of immigration status.
Would you be refering to the recent refusal of CCEA to sign off on a grant application that they had no input on? Would that be the grant that would have awarded a multi-million dollar contract to a Colorado firm without competetive bidding, and now must be put out to bid? Would that be the stunt that got CCSD to agree to set up councils at each school to determine how to spend the grant funds to best assist the students at that school. Would that be the stunt that got CCSD to agree to establish a district council to help avoid problems like that from happening again? Would that be the stunt that had Sandoval agree that education is underfunded in Nevada, and to work to increase funding? Yeah, that was quite a stunt alright.
The CCSD website has two phone directories on line. One is a school directory and the other is a directory of the administrative offices in CCSD. I used both of those directories and the Transparent Nevada salary and benefit data for CCSD from 2011. This was the latest year that data was available. I feel that the salaries and benefits for 2012 would be at least equal to the 2011 figures, if not slightly higher. There may have also been some turn-over but the costs would be roughly the same.
The first directory that I looked at was the administrative directory. The first thing that I did was to eliminate duplicate names that appeared in more than one listing in the directory. After I did that, I had a listing of approximately 2072 names. After I listed the salary and benefit information for each name from Transparent Nevada, the total was $170,736,957.79. That works out to an average salary and benefit in 2011 for each name of $82,203.64. For a teacher to earn that much in pay and benefits, the teacher would have to have a master's degree with 32 additional credits and be on step 10. For that teacher, the salary and benefits package would total $82,014. The current CCSD contract with CCEA has a salary schedule that has remained the same since the 2008-2009 school year. The salary schedule shows that a teacher with a bachelor's degree and maximum experience makes a total of $57,563 including salary and benefits. The same schedule shows a teacher with a master's degree and maximum experience earns a total of $71,919 with salary and benefits included.
An examination of the administrative listing shows that 1603(77.18%) names make more than the teacher with the bachelor's degree. Of those names, 1229 (59.17%) make more than a teacher with a master's degree.
In the listing, I then looked at positions with titles such as Director, Coordinator, Facilitator, Academic or Program Manager, Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean, or Regional Trainer, as well as Superintendent, Deputy/Associate/Assistant Superintendent. There are 595 positions with those titles. That is approximately 28.7 % of the names on the list. That doesn't include positions listed as supervisors, mentors, or other non-academic positions. To put that number in perspective, if you add the number of elementary school assistant principals, the number of middle school administrators (principals, assistant principals, deans) and high school administrators (principals, assistant principals, and deans) the total is 572. The administrative phone directory shows 495 names with the titles Director, Coordinator, or Facilitator. That is 95 names more than the total number of middle school and high school administrators (principals, assistant principals, and deans). If you just look at the number of directors, coordinators, and academic managers, the total is 352. The total number of administrators (principals, assistant principals, and deans) in high schools is 209. To reach that total of 352, you would also need to include the assistant principals and deans in middle schools. If you included those numbers, the total would be 342, or slightly less than the number of directors, coordinators, and academic managers. The administrative listing makes up approximately 5.46% of the 38,000 CCSD employees.
If you look at the 2012-2013 school year budget, the personnel cost is approximately 1.7 Billion. The 2011 cost of the administrative directory was $170,736,957.79 or just over $10% of the budget for 2012-2013. Those salary and benefit costs are 2011 costs. The actual cost for 2012 will probably be the same if not higher.
The second directory is the School Directory. This lists the principal, assistant principal, dean and office manager of every school in CCSD. The ESD schools and/or other alternative schools are listed in both directories, and have been included in the administrative directory totals. There are 217 elementary schools listed in the directory. There are 211 elementary school principals and 172 assistant principals. There are 216 office managers listed. Some people hold multiple positions or some positions are currently vacant. The 2011 salary and benefits information on Transparent Nevada shows a cost of $58,575,079.88. There are 59 middle schools listed with 58 principals, 70 assistant principals, 63 deans, and 58 office managers. The 2011 salary and benefits listed is $24,470,969.09. There are 47 high schools listed with 41 principals, 100 assistant principals, 68 deans, and 39 office managers. Transparent Nevada shows a salary and benefit cost of $27,527,996.39. The total 2011 salary and benefit cost is $110,574,045.36 for 310 principals, 342 assistant principals, 131 deans, and 313 office managers, or a total of 1096 names, or 2.88% of the approximately 38,000 employees of CCSD. This is approximately 6.5% of the 2012-2013 personnel budget. Again, the 2012 salaries and benefits will likely be the same if not higher. Using the same comparisons to teachers with bachelor's degrees and master's degrees, there are 1022 (93.25%) people who make more than a teacher with a bachelor's degree and maximum experience. There are 816 (74.45%) people who make more than a teacher with a master's degree and maximum experience.
The number of assistant principals and deans for high schools is misleading. While the total number doesn't seem large when viewed against the total number of schools, the distribution is uneven. The number of assistant principals varies from 0 to 5. The number of deans again varies widely, ranging from 0 to 3. In some schools, the total number of assistant principals and deans is 6, while in other schools the total number is 2.
Combining both directories, the number of people totals 3168 or 8.33% of the approximately 38000 CCSD employees. After combining the 2011 salary and benefits costs for both lists, the total comes to $281,311,003.15 or approximately 16.55% of the 2012-2013 personnel budget. The cost for 8.33% of the personnel comes to 16.55% of the personnel costs. Totaling, the administrative personnel from the administrative directory and the principals, assistant principals, and deans from the school listing, you get a total of 1378 administrators. Using a total of 18000 teachers employed by CCSD, you get a teacher to administrator ratio of just over 13 teachers to 1 administrator.
I hope that this analysis serves as a beginning point for a discussion on the number and pay of senior CCSD staff when compared to the number and pay of support staff, teachers, and police officers. As I looked at the data in Transparent Nevada, a number of interesting facts emerged. The Superintendent's office has a total of 5 secretaries, including the two highest paid secretaries. Elizabeth Carrerro had a total pay and benefits in 2011 of $143,720.44, which included $44,487.69 in overtime/call back pay. The next highest was Debra Eloi whose pay and benefits in 2011 totaled $98,583.43. This total also included $17,736.94 in overtime/call back pay. For all 5 secretaries in the Superintendent's office, the overtime/call back pay totaled $67,624.56. Why is all of this overtime/call back pay necessary with 5 secretaries? That total is more than the pay and benefits of a teacher with a bachelor's degree and maximum experience. It is only slightly less than the pay and benefits of a teacher with a master's degree and maximum experience.
Of the 174 names listed as admin secretaries, 151 made more than a teacher with a bachelors degree and maximum experience. Of those 151 people, 62 made more than a teacher with a masters degree and maximum experience.
For all of the 174 names the overtime/callback pay totaled just over 88K. Of the 88K, over 66K or 75% was earned by the secretaries in the office of the Superintendent.
@boftx. I thought the CCSD budget was proposed by the CCSD administration, and approved by the School Trustees. Please explain to me what money is controlled by any of the CCSD unions. As a teacher, I have no budget. Anything I want for my department or classroom must be approved by the building administrator.
This proposal failed because it was a poor attempt by the district to raise revenue. It was a crappy band aid at best. It seems to be quite a large sum for the small amount of schools it would serve and we all know no tax is temporary. Why would anyone vote for it? CCSD has alienated the community and most of all it's employees who they failed to remember are voters as well. Employees whose salaries they want to cut. Who would want to have their salary cut and their taxes increased?
This school district has a bloated and overpaid administration. They say they are broke and yet they hire a new PR woman for over $125,000 a year last year. All she does is trash teachers to the public. They hired several hundred new teachers this year, yet they are "broke". They upgraded their digital grade books to an online system that is terrible and yet they are "broke". They are also using a new Discovery Education program this year. Yet they claim they are broke? How much does all that cost?
All they do is lie and waste money and yet they want the public to trust them with more money? Sadly this will continue as long as Dwight Jones is around. The school board is no better and some of the worst members were re-elected. Unfortunately their opponents weren't much better.
As far as the Union blocking the Race To the Top funding I suggest that you begin to do some research on Race to the Top and learn how flawed it is. It is no better than No Child Left Behind. Part of the reason education is so bad in many parts of this country and this county is because educational policy is being dictated by people who haven't been in a classroom in years or who have never worked in a classroom. The requirements for RTTT are ridiculous and wasteful and the district wanted to proceed with no input from it's teachers. That is all the Union requested and as soon as there was collaboration they signed off on it. Several other unions around the country also refused to sign off on their district's RTTT application because of all the problems with it. It was not a stunt.
And the "think" tank of NPRI is a joke. Like ALEC and Students First and all the rest of the organizations that claim they put the interest of students and the public taxpayer above all the rest. They are good buddies with CCSD when it suits them, yet how easily they turn when it doesn't suit them. I'd like to see a full list of their donors. I'm sure it would be very revealing.
Tanker1975,
I said "unions," not "union members" for a reason. I meant that to mean the union leadership and/or officials. It is my impression that the leadership of the various unions associated with CCSD do not have the interests of their members, and certainly not the benefit of the children, as their top priority.
In actual fact, I voted for the measure after a long wrestling match with myself. I detest having done so, but I have never voted against a school bond and some core part of me continues to hope that this money would actually go to benefit our children.
I believe that our society is utterly dependent upon having an educated population and no one can say they do not benefit from providing public education to the next generation of voters. That said, I can't shake the feeling that I have voted for beach front property on the Strip.
Tanker1975 'The CCSD website has two phone directories on line. One is a school directory and the other is a directory of the administrative offices in CCSD. I used both of those directories and the Transparent Nevada salary and benefit data for CCSD from 2011. This was the latest year that data was available. I feel that the salaries and benefits for 2012 would be at least equal to the 2011 figures, if not slightly higher.'
Tanker1975, is the data on the transparent Nevada correct for 2011? One teacher yesterday stated she made $30K which is 36% of salary + benefits listed for her on the transparent Nevada website. Is the transparent Nevada data fairly accurate?
@BoliBlingBling. The data on Transparent Nevada is based on the information CCSD provides. CCSD has nothing to gain by overstating administrators salary and benefits packages. It may be more likely that they are understated, rather than overstated. Why would CCSD report that the two highest paid secretaries in CCSD work for the Superintendent, with one making over 143K with salary, overtime and benefits. The other makes over 98K with salary, overtime and benefits? I trust the information.
Mr. Gardner:
It was stated $30,000 LESS than $80,000 - meaning just over $50,000. Please look at the post again. And, It was about base pay, without benefits.
@boftx. I would suggest you reread my post of Nov 7, 9:14PM. That was the CCEA leadership who achieved those things. Not one thing they asked for benefits union members. It was all about getting the money and programs to benefit the kids who need it most, and by getting Sandoval to agree that education is underfunded, they are helping every student in Nevada, not just CCSD.
Government 101. All governments, including CCSD have two pots of money that they use. The first is operating funds, which are only used to pay salaries, utilities, the costs needed to keep things going on a daily basis. This money is NOT supposed to be used to pay for major building upgrades or new construction. The second is the capital fund. This is the money that is used for major renovations of buildings and new construction. The bond issue that failed was for the capital fund, not operating funds. By law, it could NOT have been used for salaries, utilities, etc.
The sins of the parents are visited unto the children.
It quit shocking me what Vegas does. I'm jaded.
Most depressed city in USA
Dumbest city in USA
THIS one I'm not sure is EXACT, but I think USA ranks 57th on its educational scale w the rest of the world (can u "nay " voters NAME 57 countries? Nah, NOT EVEN the some 57 ABOVE US, simply name 57 countries ...)
Garner..HOW MANY TIMES IN HOW MANY ARTICLES will Nancy have to defend YOU MISQUOTED HER? Pretty libelous if u ask me.
Obama wiins story, Nov 7th: " " ASadTeacher, this is for you:
You are a young 63yo teacher making over $80,000 a year but you still have much to learn. Calling republicans a bunch ofold white men showed your limited frame of reference.
Go out there and find out about life. Then, after a few years, come back here and redeem yourself.
LEARN MORE."Jeff garner
"Dude:
Sadly, I do not make that much. How about close to $30,00 less. And, I have a doctorate degree! I do like teaching - a lot. Enough to sustain me amidst ignorant attacks...." Nancy Augustin
"......and Nancy Navarro Agustin is a minority. Big deal. Race should never be a factor in deciding who to politically support. Calling republicans a bunch of old white men was disappointing and disrespectful." Jeff garner
"" My father, a Goldwater Republican says he can't believe what his party has become...angry middle aged white men who have the compassion of a bald eagle over its prey. In essense, none."tomd1228 Garner..u made me reread EVERY post..Nancy never called color, tho 'white' tom, in quoting his father did! I responded to ur ERRONIOUS accusation at her, while YOU called HER a minority by adding a second "surname "to "prove" ur RACEBAITING post! I personally think ur seeing stars from the 1,2PUNCH the DEMS just hit ur grand OLE party with! tehehe-ing" TeheAtSomeOfU
'ASadTeacher,
Are you sure you make $30,000 or less?.."garner
This went on from 5:39a.m-7:39a.m YESTERDAY ...and here we are, still...LIBELOUS!! or just ungodly evilness. Or one that makes Vegas rank 50th in stupidity.
(Not a multiple choice BTW, all 3 are sadly true)
I voted "NO" on this measure because I am so tired of seeing the responsible home owners getting screwed time and time again. If they had requested a quarter of a cent in raised sales tax I might have said "YES".