Four-day school week proposed

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, May 6, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Clark County School District officials are proposing a four-day school week to save money in the face of a potential budget crunch, School Board President Sheila Moulton said this morning.

District officials sent a list of about 30 potential cuts to the School Board in anticipation of projected cuts of $220 million over the next two years.

The list includes cutting school police by 25 percent, eliminating the positions of instructors who teach teachers how to use computers in the classroom, cutting some bus service and cutting middle school music festivals as well as travel to music competitions.

Reducing the workweek, something more than 80 percent of district employees said they favored in a recent survey, would save $20 million in utilities, staff salaries and related costs, Moulton said.

Also on the list is the elimination of the Gifted and Talented Education program, which would save $7.7 million. Reducing the school district's police force by 25 percent -- about 33 officers -- would save $2.4 million.

"None of these things are something I want to see happen, and we're certainly not saying it's going to happen yet," Moulton said. "I remain optimistic that the Legislature is going to come through for our children."

The list, which was being finalized this morning, will be used during a budget work session Wednesday by School Board trustees.

The district has been told that $220 million in cuts will be necessary over two years if Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal for new and increased taxes does not win legislative approval. The first $110 million would be trimmed from the $1.3 billion budget projected for the 2003-04 school year.

Two versions of the budget will be considered -- one, totaling $1.3 billion, and a second based on the $110 million shortfall.

Ultimately the School Board trustees will decide which of the proposed cuts are adopted, said Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations for the district.

"They have their own ideas of what should be protected and where cuts should be made," Rulffes said. "They can adopt all of our recommendations, some of our recommendations or none of our recommendations. What they have to do is come up with cuts that total $110 million."

The amount of cutting necessary won't be known until the legislative session ends and the final education funding amount is known, Rulffes said.

Moulton, along with the rest of the School Board, was sent a memo listing 30 recommendations for cuts by the district's business office in advance of budget work session Wednesday. The complete list is expected to be released later today.

School would be in session longer on the four remaining days to make up instructional time.

"Some parents might welcome the shorter week, but I would rather have the kids for fewer hours over five days," said Patricia Hodges, principal of Martinez Elementary School in the district's northeast region. "I think it's better for learning overall if we have more time over more days."

Other items on the list of the proposed cuts include reducing middle and high school bus services to save $3 million, and eliminating the 138 "educational computing strategist" positions at a savings of $9 million.

Even though the School Board has taken no action on any of the proposed cuts, the school district's Police Officers Association has already scheduled a protest rally for Wednesday afternoon.

Reducing the number of officers would put student safety at risk, said Phil Gervasi, president of the School Police Officers Association. In the last week school police made three arrests for possession of a handgun at one high school, Gervasi said. Arrests for drug possession are also on the rise, he said.