Friday, April 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
NOW that realistic options for breaking up the Clark County School District have been released for public debate, it's time for parents to get active on this important issue.
Certainly they should become more active than they were during the hearings on the subject last year. Any decision will affect nearly every family in Clark County.
The consultants, Management Analysis and Planning Associates, have revealed three alternatives for breaking up the 10th largest school district in the United States.
* The district could be split along municipal boundaries, containing from 10,000 to 15,000 students. Under this plan, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson would have separate districts.
* Districts could be aligned with School Board trustee boundaries, with no more than 24,000 students each.
* New school districts could be formed around high school clusters. One or more high schools and their neighboring elementary schools would form a separate district. Under this proposal, eight to 10 districts would be created.
The study, which is costing taxpayers $300,000, was authorized by the Legislature last year, amid complaints from some legislators and parents that Clark County schools are too unwieldy and growing too fast to manage. The district's bureaucracy has been criticized as too large and unresponsive. The district now has more than 150,000 students.
Which option will be recommended to the next Legislature may well depend on whether there is a groundswell of comment from residents. When the proposals were aired Tuesday before a Legislative Commission subcommittee, only 70 people heard them.
That's in line with the lackluster turnout at last year's hearings. Many times, only a few people were present, a significant portion of whom were school district employees. The impression was that most parents don't care how the schools are structured.
That's extremely shortsighted. A school district report this week showed wide variations in teacher competency and per-pupil spending among schools. Those differences might be aggravated if the district were broken up thoughtlessly.
A breakup must also take into account how to distribute existing bond liability. Henderson taxpayers won't like paying for new northwest schools. Nor would other residents appreciate losing the resort corridor tax base.
A poorly planned breakup could harm some schools and increase some taxes. Maintaining service levels also may be a problem, since smaller schools can't afford to provide as much variety as larger schools. Special needs students could suffer. That's why public comment is vital.
If you have children in Clark County schools, or are just interested in public education, make your voice heard. Send your comments to James R. Smith, Management Analysis & Planning Associates, 1130 K St., Suite 210, Sacramento, CA, 95814. You can send a fax to (916) 756-2806, and e-mail to [email protected]
The future of our children is at stake on this issue and, even more, the future of the community.
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