School Board’s tentative $1.8 billion budget worries teachers, parents and students

Jose Solorio Jr. once played a king who lost his empire. Last fall's star of "King Lear" now might lose his stage as a result of Clark County School District funding cuts.

The sophomore heard this week that theater classes at his high school, Palo Verde, are on the chopping block.

"The community is about to lose a big asset," the 15-year-old said. "We recently performed the musical 'Annie' and it was sold out every night."

Theater at Palo isn't the only program in trouble. On Wednesday, the School Board approved a $1.8 billion tentative budget, which includes cuts to help bridge an anticipated $407 million shortfall. It eliminates about 1,834 positions in the nation's fifth largest school district, which employs 38,500, including 18,000 teachers.

With cuts to be made both at the district level and by individual principals, educators, parents and students are only beginning to assess the impact. Although schools Superintendent Dwight Jones has promised to protect extracurricular activities and athletics, principals have a certain amount of autonomy when it comes to making cuts at their schools.

WORRIES ABOUT SPORTS

School Board Trustee Erin Cranor said the cuts to arts programs are the indirect consequences of "having fewer adults in the school building."

Cranor is also worried about the impact to athletics since most coaches are also classroom teachers.

Staffing decisions vary from school to school based on projected enrollment and the number of students signing up for elective classes.

Sunrise Mountain High School, for example, is cutting its choir program but is keeping its theater teacher, Principal John Barlow said.

Palo Verde students could start a theater club, but Solorio doubted whether it would have the support of the school. Palo Verde Principal Dan Phillips could not be reached for comment.

"When it hits home, it starts to really hurt," said Solorio's father, Jose Solorio Sr., who volunteers as an assistant cross country coach at the school, near the Las Vegas Beltway and Alta Drive in the northwest.

"This madness of 'no new taxes' is going to decimate everything until there's nothing left," Solorio Sr. said, criticizing state Republican leaders' reluctance to approve new taxes in the middle of the recession.

School Board Trustee Lorraine Alderman said she understood that at least 20 middle and high schools around the valley were cutting teaching positions for the arts, including choir and orchestra.

"It is happening out there," Alderman said, despite efforts by schools to downplay cuts.

"I've even heard that principals are telling their teachers, 'Don't tell your students until the end of the school year,' " Alderman said. "It's emotional for the kids. They might be losing their favorite teacher."

Some schools next year might not have a band teacher or a marching band for homecoming. "That's devastating," Alderman said.

ONLINE SURVEY CITED

Beverly Patton, executive director of the Las Vegas Youth Orchestra, said the cuts are contrary to an online survey by the district that showed overwhelming support for extracurricular activities. She knew of teaching positions for the performing arts getting cut at schools in both rich and poor neighborhoods.

Businesses and members of the public have begun approaching district schools with pledges of support to offset budget cuts, School Board members said.

On Wednesday, Trustee John Cole floated the idea of pairing up rich and poor schools so donations could be evenly shared.

Board President Carolyn Edwards became uncomfortable by such suggestions.

"It feels like we're trying to relieve the state of its obligation," Edwards said. "Pressure needs to be put on the state to do its duty. We need to be careful we don't solve the state's problem."

School Board members lamented that once funding is cut, it's never restored by the state.

Because the Legislature is still working on the state's budget, from which schools get a lot of their revenue, school district officials emphasized their budget numbers are subject to change.

LAYOFFS DUE EARLY SUMMER

The elimination of arts programs does not necessarily mean that those teachers would be laid off since they could find other jobs in the district. Teachers are also protected by seniority.

Layoffs, or a reduction in force, would not begin until early this summer.

In terms of districtwide cuts, the textbook and school supply budget would be slashed by 50 percent. Administrative and non-school budgets would be cut by 20 percent. Employees would be asked to pay for 20 percent of their health insurance costs and pay for a half percent increase to their pensions.

District officials increased some cuts to mitigate other proposed cuts, such as limiting increases in class sizes to three additional students in all grade levels and recommending furlough days equivalent to 5 percent pay cuts for all district employees.

Employees, however, should still expect a total pay cut of 8 percent based on the furlough days and increased costs to employees' pensions and health insurance.

Superintendent Jones said the district might have to decrease the 180 instructional days to accommodate the furlough days. There is a bill in the Legislature to allow school districts to waive as many as 10 instructional days if there is financial hardship.

The tentative budget still has a hole of $69 million that the district must balance through additional cuts or finding new revenue.

View reporter Jeff Mosier contributed to this report. Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-374-7917.