Paul Dugan:  Mister Vice-Chair, Members of the Committee, for the record my name is Paul Dugan, Superintendent of the Washoe County School District and President of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents.  With me today is Irene Chachas, President of the Nevada Association of School Boards.  Thank you for the opportunity to present what has been a partnership between the superintendents and the school boards since its inception in 2003, iNVest. 

Irene Chachas:  iNVest was developed in 2003, after a year-long project that involved all 17 counties.  Superintendents and board members worked together to develop common goals to answer one vital question:  “What is needed to improve student achievement in Nevada?” 

 

Former versions of iNVest were considerably longer than this year’s, plus they contained a “shopping list” of specific programs. iNVest ‘09 has been revised to reflect the successes districts have had from being granted the authority and flexibility to meet the needs of their students through programs such as SB 185 and SB 404. 

Paul Dugan:  The ultimate goal of iNVest remains the same as it did from its inception:  “to improve academic achievement for all students.”

Paul Dugan: All districts cut their budgets by 4.5% in October of 2008, reducing Nevada’s collective funding for K-12 education by $92 million.  Further cuts in the most recent Special Session brought the total amount of cuts to over $173 million.  And now, as you know, Superintendents and School Boards are preparing budgets for the next two years based on a 14.12% decrease from 2007 funding levels pursuant to the Governor’s recommended budget.

Paul Dugan: Although funding has been cut, expectations have not. Whether it’s the targets for NCLB, the new requirement in passing a science proficiency exam to graduate, or just the expectations of parents, teachers, students and the community as a whole – we all want our students to succeed.  As you can see from the graph, Nevada had 48,000 new students join us between 2003 and 2007.  During the same period of time, struggling populations increased:  41,000 more students live in poverty; 5,000 more have IEPs; and students that don’t speak English as their first language have increased by 12,000. In order to meet our collective expectation that students graduate career and college ready, Nevada’s districts need the funding and flexibility to support the individual needs of our students – needs that continue to grow in diversity and magnitude.

Irene Chachas:  The 107 elected board members across the state represent school districts that have less than 70 students to districts with over 300,000 students and everything in between.  While there are many commonalities among our students throughout the state, I know that our students in White Pine have unique and specific needs that are separate and distinct from students in Reno or Elko or Las Vegas who have their own unique and specific needs. 

Paul Dugan:  Through Nevada Education Reform Act, Empowerment, and Site Based Management programs such as SB 185 and SB 404, we have learned that it takes flexibility and funding to be able to support students in their efforts to graduate.

Paul Dugan:  The Superintendents and the Trustees have all adhered to the three fundamental principals of iNVest since 2003:

•education can be improved when adequate basic support is provided to districts

•districts must have the resources to attract and retain qualified teachers, and

•districts must have the means to provide enhanced educational opportunities for students.

Paul Dugan:  The base budget includes all of the expenditures necessary to keep schools in session:  teachers to textbooks and everything in  between.  This would include supplies for classroom instruction and supplies to keep the classroom clean.  When this basic funding is reduced, whether through budgetary reductions or one-shot funding for special programs, the entire system suffers.  Not only because the minimum to keep schools clean, staffed and running is not being met, but also because the base then has to be restored by subsequent legislative action.  iNVest 2003 was created in the wake of $100 million cuts to public education from FY2001 that have never been restored.

Irene Chachas:  The budget cuts school boards across the state have been dealing with are devastating to education.  Approximately $164 million dollars specifically designated to fund education was reverted to the general fund and used for non-education purposes during the 2007 Session.  Compare that to the $173 million K-12 has had to cut statewide since the end of the last session.  Had those dollars been deposited in a “rainy day fund” for K-12 education, students would have been significantly protected from the drastic level of budget cuts we’ve just had to make.

Two identical bills – AB 55 and SB 150 – contain the specific language that would support the Education Stabilization Fund called for in iNVest 09.  Speaker Buckley also has a bill – AB 458 – that has a stabilization fund for education.  We encourage you to support these bills.

Paul Dugan:  I have had the privilege of being a part of the Nevada Educational system for 31 years – and a Superintendent during the past 3 legislative sessions.  Obviously this is not the year to be able to fully fund education, yet as I look forward to retiring in several months, I have to ask: “When is the right time?”  During the economic good years we were unable to solve the funding issue.  Perhaps now under this economic gloom it would be poetic justice –  or poetic irony – if this legislative body drew the proverbial line in the sand and said, “Enough!”  Without a plan of action, I fear that 10 years from now my successor and perhaps the one after, will be sitting in this same chair asking for the same consideration we started asking for in 2003.

Irene Chachas:  I’m a business woman.  The old adage, “you get what you pay for” is as true in education as it is in business.  If we truly want to attract and retain the best and the brightest teachers, we need to pay them more money.  In addition to simply increasing salaries for all teachers, we support the use of effect incentives to attract specific teachers to schools that need them the most.  And we know that the best incentive we can offer is a competitive, professional salary.

Paul Dugan:

Paul Dugan:  Like everyone else, school districts are struggling to deal with the everyday effects of a declining economy.  As a result, like everyone else, school districts are cutting budgets.  In light of these realities, there are three specific actions you can take this session to support and maintain student achievement:

•Fully fund the base

•Establish the Rainy Day Fund

•Develop a long-term plan to increase funding

Thank you for this opportunity, members of the committee.  We’ll be happy to answer any questions.