Seven ways to cut School District spending

Peggy M. Swartwood, Las Vegas

Saturday, June 21, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

There is an easy fix to the Clark County School District’s budget. Here’s what we can have: more schools, more teachers, smaller classrooms, real pay raises and better academic scores.

All we have to do is make these changes:

• All educational facilities stay open for 10 hours Monday through Thursday, and are locked up tight on Fridays. Any weekend activities must be paid for in full by the private sector. Savings from missing one lunch period and one day’s commute to and from the facility would be enormous.

• Cut all after-school sports programs unless they are funded in full by the private sector.

• Cut all after-school arts and music programs unless they are funded in full by the private sector.

• Cancel all after-hours awards programs or graduation ceremonies (just hand out diplomas and awards on the students’ last day).

• Require children who live within two miles of their school to walk. This would be a good physical education program, and savings would be realized on fuel and school bus wear and tear.

• Cut all 12-month schools back to nine months and cut all summer-school activities. The savings on air-conditioning bills alone would be mind boggling.

• Teach only reading, writing, arithmetic, science, history, geography, physical education, art and music.

If these fixes are not palatable to the residents of Las Vegas, then we need to quit our whining and accept a tax increase.

We will not solve any of the School District’s problems by laying off personnel or denying them properly negotiated pay raises. What we don’t need is more political pandering and maneuvering.