Governor’s higher education budget geared toward student performance

By Cy Ryan

Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 | 2:27 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval’s $413 million general fund budget for the Nevada System of Higher Education is geared toward distributing money based on student performance rather than solely on enrollment.

Community colleges in Northern Nevada in particular would suffer losses under the governor’s budget.

Chancellor Dan Klaich on Friday told the Assembly-Senate joint budget subcommittee that the budget was a compromise and “not everybody is thrilled with it.”

“I’m sure there will be disagreement,” he said.

Former Assemblyman John Carpenter of Elko, who appeared before the subcommittee, said Great Basin College in Elko would be hurt by a reduction in its budget and would be forced to turn students away.

Assemblyman Andy Eisen, D-Las Vegas, questioned whether funding based on performance would put pressure on faculty to give inflated grades.

Klaich said the Board of Regents “is not interested on turning its back on education in rural Nevada,” but instruction may have to be delivered in a different way and duplicate services eliminated.