If CCSD Really Cared About Students…

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(Lori Piotrowski) – Once again, the Clark County School District has announced that more jobs are likely to be cut from next year’s budget. Yesterday’s Las Vegas Review-Journal cited a memo sent to the school board that stated “school librarians, school-based computer specialists and special education” were some of the positions that could be eliminated, saving up to $275 million.

Why is it that the positions that directly affect the children are always the first to be mentioned for elimination? One of the school librarians quoted in the article, Dan Swenson, said it best, “”I've been around enough to know that the school district uses athletics, the arts and librarians as hot buttons to get the public's attention.”

Indeed.

Why don’t we, er, I mean, the CCSD, get serious about cuts. Earlier this week, we looked at some of the high-paying administrative positions that should be considered fair game. Let’s look at a few more.

Twelve academic managers, each making more than $116,000 (the highest earned more than $133,000 in 2009, excluding benefits); administrators with the title of coordinator, 79 in all, earned between $90,000 and $101,000; and 72 “directors” earning between $92,000 and $124,000.

These 163 non-teaching positions are worth $16,470,895 per year to the CCSD budget. Excluding benefits.

Sounds like a good place to begin to me.