Vote to improve Nevada schools

By Stephen Norman, Sparks

Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 | 2:02 a.m.

Question 3 is the only proposed solution to Nevada’s pathetic funding of K-12 schools. All funds generated by the Education Initiative would go to the operation of schools — not for school buildings.

That’s not to say school buildings don’t need more funding. They do.

Many schools have insufficient classrooms for their enrollment, so 36 to 40 students squeeze into a classroom designed for 18 to 20 students. Two teachers work in these small rooms in order to meet federal and state standards for student/teacher ratios.

Parents should be concerned about overcrowding because it is a factor in poor school performance.

Portable classrooms substitute for permanent buildings and stay in service for decades.

The Education Initiative’s goals are to provide a quality education for Nevada’s children, to give them a better chance of success in their lives, to provide an educated workforce for Nevada’s businesses and to make Nevada a more attractive state for families.

The lack of sufficient funding for school buildings exacerbates the problem of insufficient funding for school operation.

It is imperative that Nevada begin to solve its school funding problems now! Vote “yes” on Question 3.