School Board should push for a complete funding overhaul

In their Feb. 8 meeting, the Clark County School District Board of Trustees decided to pursue a property tax increase to generate $5.3 billion over 10 years. These funds would be earmarked for construction projects, renovations, maintenance and new equipment.

Among an increasing number of petitions and initiatives, the board is moving forward with the process to place this property tax increase measure on the November ballot.

This action has been met with questions because the community doesn't believe that the district has proved its case for more funding or that it spends its funds wisely. To encourage community participation, support and trust in investing in public education, the board and superintendent must show transparency. District representatives have stated that the books are public record and, as such, are open to everyone. But presenting the findings of a neutral, independent auditor would certainly help remove the cloud of doubt and suspicion that currently surrounds this proposal.

An independent audit of the district's budget would also demonstrate the trustees' accountability to the public. It would show the type of policies and decisions in which they currently invest taxpayers dollars. As a matter of fact, on Jan. 26, the Clark County Education Association publicly offered to pay for half the cost, and even the full cost, of such an audit. This offer has been ignored.

We applaud the school board for seeking solutions to a funding problem. The district is held hostage by an antiquated, unsustainable funding system created and perpetuated by our politicians in Carson City The district's approach, however, is shortsighted.

The conversation that needs to take place is really about priorities.

Do we want a top-quality education system? What sustainable revenue source do we establish to adequately fund the system we need for our students?

Public education in Nevada has been shortchanged for too long. During political season, candidates for office immediately become "friends of education" and tell you how hard they will work to provide our students with a quality education. Public education becomes the staple of most campaigns -- yet the results from the policies enacted by our legislators demonstrate otherwise.

According to the latest Rankings & Estimates Report published by the National Education Association, Nevada has plummeted to the bottom of the list -- ranking 51st in the nation in per-pupil funding for classroom instruction. And we still wonder why businesses won't relocate to Nevada?

How can Nevada attract a diverse business group that would create high-paying jobs? Our severely underfunded education system makes them run to the hills and never come back.

A great teacher, Albert Einstein, said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." We, the public, need to learn about the realities in our classrooms and schools.

The school board must demonstrate real leadership and seek an overhaul of the education funding system, not just funds for brick and mortar. It must lead the fight in Carson City to implement a sustainable revenue source that will provide vital classroom resources that have a lifetime effect on students' lives.

If we don't have funding for the most basic resources -- books, learning materials and instructional personnel -- having a "ready for exit" goal is meaningless. We must make a commitment and investment in public education. Every day that passes without the adequate classroom resources, students are robbed of an opportunity to reach for excellence and attain the American Dream.

We are confident that when the public learns about all the needs in our classrooms, they will wholeheartedly support the investment in education and classroom resources. It is unforgivable, that in this great nation of ours, we have students who do not have the most basic of materials such as pencils or paper; that the textbooks are greatly outdated or worse, still lacking from many classrooms; and that there isn't enough instructional time to cover the basics, much less provided individualized instruction.

Let's do the right thing for our students and invest in the classroom, invest in education.

Ruben Murillo Jr. is the president of the Clark County Education Association.