Nevada’s budget is bleeding red ink. Late Friday afternoon, Governor Jim Gibbons announced that the deficit is getting bigger.
The budget hole now sits at $440 million. It’s growing because of falling tax revenue.
The governor has said certain areas of state government, including education, will not face cuts. But Friday, Gibbons changed his course. He now says more parts of the state budget will see cuts, including lower education.
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I sincerely hope that enough concerned parents, educators and citizens will take notice and do something to lobby against Governor Gibbons proposed cuts in the education budget. I teach in a self contained Special Education classroom for students with severe learning disabilities. The school where I teach is located in one of the most economically disadvantaged and crime ridden areas in our community. Everyone of my students requires extensive assisstance and many demands are placed on both my teaching assistant and myself. At the end of the day we are both exhausted and feel overwhelmed by the amount of work we do to help our students. On a regular basis we will both work beyond our contracted hours, staying late after school or coming in on weekends, and we are both guilty of spending plenty of our own money to help our students. We do this because we care about our students and are committed to seeing that they get an education and go onto lead successful lives. At our school we do not have to look very far to see what becomes of individuals who don’t succeed in life. Just beyond our school campus one can find gangs, drugs, violence, poverty and homelessness. All of which puts many demands on our resources. If we chose not to pay for educating our children today, then we will be forced to pay for it at another time and in other ways.
PLEASE HELP STOP THE CUTS TO OUR EDUCATION BUDGET!!!!
Comment by Carrie Chappell — December 15, 2007 @ 12:55 am
It makes no sense to cut 98 million dollars from education, when the education system we already have is subpar at best. This is just going to make things worst in the long run. I also think that the casinos should ante up and pay more for education, no matter how slow the say they are, they still make record profits evey month.
Comment by Adam — December 15, 2007 @ 2:07 am
Gaming revenue is at higest ever, there are not enough police to cover most neighborhoods other than most severly crime ridden, teachers salaries and benefits, and education already poorly funded, highways more crowded, nursing staffs undermanned, while every open square inch seems to have businesses being built, and Jim Gibbons, (George Bush clone)thinks everything will be fine if budgets are cut and NO NEW TAXES. Perhaps he is more clever than we think and it is a ploy to rile up populace to demmand higher taxes to protect and support our society properly and he can claim it’s not his fault.
Comment by John cody — December 15, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
Education in Clark County is already in a downward spiral with no chance of rescue without monumental increases in budget for attractive salaries and benefits to attract and keep quality teachers, reduced class sizes, adequate supplies, security and programs to keep students involved during and after school. Would like to know the percentage of republican lawmakers statewide and nationwide who send their children to public and private schools. As public education fails, only the wealthy will be able to send their children to private schools that can eliminate undesirable and/or weak students or students in need of special services, so that all of the leaders of tomorrow will be the children of those who can afford a private education for their children and perpetuate the two class system that already exists
Comment by John cody — December 15, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
On December 15, 2007 @ 12:55 am, Carrie Chappell said “…[we] feel overwhelmed by the amount of work we do to help our students. On a regular basis we will both work beyond our contracted hours, staying late after school or coming in on weekends, and we are both guilty of spending plenty of our own money to help our students. We do this because we care about our students and are committed to seeing that they get an education and go onto lead successful lives.”
Carrie, your personal committment to your students should be applauded. However, it’s an unfortunate dichotomy that your extraordinary efforts (which you admit go far beyond the scope of your employment contract) may actually be doing to harm to the system, as a whole. Our state’s educational budget is large and complex. In order for legislature to appropriately allocate funding and anticipate future needs, accountability must be paramount. Governor Gibbons has no method to account for the value of your nights, weekends and extra personal money you spend… By doing this, you are inflating the perception of quality that students are getting out of the existing education budget! It’s no wonder that our legislators believe that “no long-term damage will come from these short-term cuts”… The figures being analyzed are grossly inflated thanks to “Super Teachers” like you.
It would be unethical to expect all teachers to make the sacrifices that you are. I know you don’t realize it, but by continuing to work beyond your means, you are doing your students, the district and yourself a disservice. I respectfully encourage you to do the best that you can, but do it within the scope and boundaries of your contract. No matter how hard you try to be more, you are only 1 teacher. Our legislators need hard evidence to support a budget that can afford to hire many, many more.
Comment by Scott — December 15, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
I think that cutting the education budget is the worst idea. I understand that we get all our taxes paid by the casinos and sales tax revenue, but the population in the last 5 years has doubled. With all the casinos going up around the country and the world of course revenue is slipping. Should we really be relying on the casinos? Would it be so crazy to consider an state income tax. Being a father of three i can not see a great future for my children in this state. The education is one of the worst in the country and it is all based on money which is reliant on the casinos. How much longer are we going to go around in this circle.
Comment by Justin — December 16, 2007 @ 1:01 am
I don’t know why Gov. Jim Gibbons take another look at the state govmernet spending, why should everyone suffer. Why can’t they take the buget cut right out of the state govermnet it self.
Like put a freeze on the Govenor, senetor’s and reperesentive and all high paying state goverment employee’s (over 50K per year) PAY FREEZE, no more raises for them, cut out the travel expenses and bonuses for all the high paying state goverment employees. Cut the State Goverment from purchasing new vehicles, make the employee’s use their own vehicle and buy their own gas instead of turning in reciepts for reimburstments.(This does not include the Police Dept.) like normal everyday people. Why does so many state employee’s use SUV and the state pays for their gas?? should I say us tax payers for their gas!!
I can not see getting more from gaming tax or cut the education. Cut the salaries from the State Goverment Office First.
Comment by Moon — December 17, 2007 @ 11:28 am
If the State of Nevada enforced the 30 day residency rule, and forced people to register their vehicles here, how much money would that add to the budget? Everyday I commute to work I’m stuck in a sea of cars register in California, Utah, Arizona and Washington. Nevada has one of the highest vehicle registrations in the country, surely this would generate millions of dollars to our budget.
Comment by Paula — December 17, 2007 @ 2:39 pm
The half-baked reasoning and absence of grammar skills in the last three comments should be evidence enough that our state has too many uneducated simpletons.
Comment by Scott — December 22, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Impeach Governor Gibbson for not caring about our educaiton system. Thank God I did NOT vote for him. For those who voted for him was stupid.
Comment by David — January 7, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
This is why my daughter will NOT be in the school system. This was the same problem when i was in the school district. Maybe thats why i graduated from adult highschool. I got a better education doing it on my own then when a teacher did it. the teachers couldnt AFFORD to do what they needed to do in their classrooms because of having no money.
Comment by elizabeth — January 8, 2008 @ 10:37 am
I think this is outrageous! The school system is bad enough and was starting to improve. Gov. Gibbons doesn’t care about education, only lining his own bank account. If these cuts take place, we will surely be the last place in the country anyone will want to send their kids to school let alone even think about moving here! It is an embarrassment to the state! As much money is made in this town and this is the kind of education system we have??? Every school should be top of the line! The teachers are underpaid and don’t get the credit they deserve. The Gov should be impeached!! What a idiot….these children will NOT succeed without an education. They will end up in prison, become addicts and ADD to society problems.
Comment by Michelle — January 8, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
The governor is making an idiotic decision. We’re already short teachers and the ones we have are not paid enough. How does he expect us to meet educational goals for the state if he keeps cutting the already too low budget. Cut the money from somewhere else. Stop hurting our schools.
Comment by Emily — January 8, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
I think it is time we realize who actually runs the state, it is not the Govenor, but the Casino’s, they give what they want to the schools, and the rest goes in their pockets, OK, thats part of business, but to stop the State from having a Lottery, that would give the schools the millions they need, is being greedy, either the Casino’s make the money or no-one does.
Time for the Govenor to step up and take the State back, in the interest of the people.
Also trying to save money by cutting kindergarten to 1/2 days, this option is not even available where my kindergartener goes, so for the select schools that have fulldays it only means that the parents have to pay day-cares to watch there kids while they are at work, instead of letting the families spend the money doing family things.
Comment by JR — January 8, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
It is appalling that our Govenor is even considering cutting back on education in Nevada. Clark county Schools are already low in the rankings and quite frankly getting worse. I am a working parent and sent my child to a private kindergarten b/c the public schools do not offer that and I did not want my child bussed to a day care. That should be an option for people that have to work for a living to support their family. To cut anymore out of schools will just ruin our future for Nevada the children. This will make me want to move out of las vegas so I know my child is getting a good and fair education and if the Governor pulls this it will get a lot of people thinking.
Comment by Jacqui — January 8, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
I find it hard to believe that all day kindergarten would be cut from the budget when, as a parent, I pay $300 a month for my son to attend. Obviously, this monthly fee is paying for at least a portion of the costs, if not all of the costs. I’m one of the lucky few who only depend on day care one day a week, but other parents don’t have that luxury….I feel for them, and the children, this would affect.
Comment by me — January 8, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
There is no evidence that all day kindergarten is a benefit to children. Schools on the East Coast that are #1 in education have never had all day kindergarten. The advantage is a myth.
Mr. O’Dowd has misled you about his program. My daughter attends Lamping and I can tell you that his all day program is not even funded by the State!!!!!!
We pay $300 per month for all day kindergarten.
Only title one schools and other poor schools get the funding from the state for all day kindergarten. The goal of state funded all day kindergarten is keep poor kids in a positive environment the day. The benefit is that those kids will graduate and have a positive opinion of school rather than drop out. This theory is still to young to know if the benefit will play out.
Additionally, Mr. O’Dowd has a waiting list because residents of Clark County are falsifying documents to get into Lamping because it is the #1 school in CCSD and it offers 5 all day kindergarten programs. That’s 5 times more than any other school in the area. The fact is that for all day kindergarten at $300 per month is cheaper than day care and you get the added bonus of the best school in the district to boot. This phenomenon has caused Lamping to become the most over crowed elementary school in CCSD with a population of 1250+/- kids when the school has a capacity of 818.
With the overcrowding CCSD has requested that their AZAC commission rezone our school. Now here is your news story! AZAC has proposed to bus 200 +/- students out of Lamping that can currently walk to school so that CCSD can bus 200+/- in to the school that are already on a bus. This proposal by AZAC will double the bussing cost at this school. Now the Governor has asked the schools to look at reductions in transportation and here is AZAC and CCSD making proposals to increase the cost.
Visit www.proposalc.com to learn more about the wasted tax dollars and Lamping and in the CCSD.
Please make your way back to the school tomorrow morning. You won’t be disappointed. A huge banner will be in place to discuss our position further.
Comment by Proposal C — January 9, 2008 @ 12:42 am
More people=more taxes=more money. So, where is our money
Comment by Joe Smith — January 11, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
How about a four day school week??? When you cut out just one day of school operations, that HAS TO BE a very significant drop in cost!
Comment by Rachel — January 11, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
I think Gibbons sould be kick out of power. He is making it a lot harder for us kids to even have some fun in school. He thinks its okay to take away our after school programs and our sport teams. All the kids in ever school sould go on strike at his house. He doesnt know how hard it is to get a free pass to colloge our how hard it is to go to school if there is nothing to do after school to keep us away from drugs and gangs. So thats thank Gibbons for being a complete losser. Thank you Gibbons!!!!!!!
Comment by Matthew Y. — January 12, 2008 @ 11:54 am
The Governor has destroyed this State in a year. We are told rooms on the strip are at 96% capacity, yet we have no money from tax revenues. We are looking for programs to bail out the people who purchased homes with adjustable rates who knew they couldn’t afford the home, but then people like me who got a fixed rate and barely makes it every month get screwed. Maybe we should all let our homes foreclose on…why not…I paid $300,000 for my house and now houses in my community are selling for half. I pay more in taxes then they do, a higher loan, but I guess this isn’t really the point. I know people are concerned about schools and what not with cuts. I can fully understand because cuts in education is sending a message thta education isn not important. However, do we all understand the Department of Public Safety has been affected as well as the Department of Corrections. I know most of you don’t care about the inmates. But think of the guards who are working in these facilities that are understaffed, and now they can’t hire or even get over time to help with a need. These officers are out numbered at any given time even being fully staffed, but at the current staffing it’s even worse and creates a dangerous situation. Think about your husband or wife, son or daughter, who work in these facilities. Do you think that they would get back up to come help them quick enough if an emergency situation arose? The time it would take for a response would be too long. We need to make sure the facilities are fully staffed for everyone’s safety. Think about public safety which affects us all. Cuts to programs could cause great problems in a city with a huge population of nomads. Think about these programs. These Departments are always lost and don’t ever get a second look. Gibbons must tell us where the money has gone. I go to the strip and see tourists spending all sorts of money, but our tax revenue is down somehow. Everyone says to cut State employee salaries and don’t give them raises. But lest we forget there are thousands of employees who work for the State living in Las Vegas. They also need the raises yearly for cost of living at least in order to pay for the rising cost of goods such as gas, food, even our taxes. Not every State employee make $50,000 a year or uses State vehicles. In this town, that salary is being practically poor. Something has to give somewhere, but it shouldn’t be at the sacrifice of others. Gibbons should be made to answer what he did to this State in only a year. Good job Gibbons, you have sent a great message to all of us. We just have to hope he doesn’t run for office again.
Comment by Debbie D. — January 12, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
The Gov. Gibbons should be ashamed of himself for even suggesting budget cuts when our school systems are almost at the bottom of the list in the U.S. Because we have no state business tax, companies come into our state and make millions of dollars while eliminating jobs or reducing workers pay and benefits. Outsiders keep coming into Nevada and taking without giving back. Jim Gibbons needs to take care of his own-the people of the state of Nevada. I am not suggesting a state tax, but I am suggesting that those who are making so much from operating in our state give back a little. Go after the rich corporations and casinos to help. The money they waste in one month could most likely cover all the budget shortfalls in Nevada.
Comment by Ken — January 18, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
I drive by a casino owner’s home, occupied by the owner and his wife, on my way to visit my sister. I’m quite certain that if he auctions off the decorative iron gate surrounding his home, that would cover the education cut. Now, it would be presumptuous to suggest he consider whether having 19 bathrooms is excessive given the industry is “hurting” too much to chip in on education.
The reason Casino’s, hence Gibbons, does not truly support education is similiar to the dynamic in this country in the 17th century when black people were not allowed to engage in “learning” lest it incite thinking processess that might incite rebellion (holding Casinos and government officials, regardless of $tature, accountable to the people (not vise versus as in NV). The Casino’s want a state of “dumbed down” citizens so that they can continue to exploit them as workers and protect their intere$t$ by having to answer to a largely “dumbed down” public who voted him (and Bush) into office. Sad but true.
Comment by Catherine — January 22, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
Correction: I meant 19th century (not 17th)laws and punishments re: blacks caught learning to read, etc..
Comment by Catherine — January 22, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
I say Governor Gibbons needs to be IMPEACHED….
He just got busted making a ton of phone calls to his MISTRESS…but yet he’s going to hold a special session to cut cost of living raises for state employees? How nice…How fair. What they need to cut is HIS salary…and get his butt out of the office. He has NO place being in there.
I NOW believe he indeed did molest that girl in the parking garage…proof is in the pudding. I’m ashamed I voted for him.
Comment by Leja — June 15, 2008 @ 1:02 pm