Them’s Fightin’ Words

(Lori Piotrowski) – I jumped out of bed last night, fuming at Clark County School Board President Carolyn Edwards’ complaint about Nevada’s “refusal” to fund education. Did she actually say, “Those are fighting words” on television? Could she really have said they would sue the state government?

Madam President, the Nevada legislature is funding education. What they are now longer eager to fund is excesses in CCSD’s budget.

Perhaps the district should examine how they are spending their money. Of course parents want athletics and arts programs funded. Of course they want their children learning from the latest texts. An online CCSD survey found that 65% of respondents would support higher taxes to keep these programs.

I’d bet a Bellagio $25K chip that what they do not want is to fund a bloated administration.

As I look over the CCSD’s Organizational Chart, I can’t help but wonder what all the various superintendents do. One deputy superintendent receives over $165,000 in salary. The lowest paid Associate Superintendent’s salary is listed at $107,000 and the highest at $145,000. (Thank you, Transparent Nevada, for these figures.) Some of these superintendents have completed their Ph.D. studies, yet those teachers who have done so, are paid only $70,000. Now this is a disparity worthy of note! Keep in mind that these figures do not include any benefits.

The survey’s suggestion of a 2% cut in salaries is a start to balancing the budget. But not by much. For those of us who don’t speak CCSDese, our above-mentioned deputy superintendent would ante up $3,300/year to the budget pot. Non-union construction companies, in comparison, have reduced the pay of managers, superintendents, and owners from 10 to 20% and even more.

Yes, the CCSD would tax these people, who have already reduced their pay voluntarily to keep their employees working and their company running, so the CCSD budget can maintain its excesses. Madam President, your words are the fighting words.