Karen Gray
To build or not to build
That is the question for CCSD
Not so long ago the Clark County School District had students enrolling in droves. Families were swarming into the Las Vegas valley faster than communities could handle. And with 4.9 billion taxpayer dollars in its Capital Improvement Program (CIP), CCSD was franticly building schools — on every corner, it seemed. Today, however, the scenario is drastically different. Las Vegas has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, unemployment in the state is 11 percent, student enrollment in the district has trickled to a mere .8 percent growth rate and the CIP is down to its last $171 million for new schools.
The right way to measure success
Nevada students need norm-referenced testing
Do Nevada students need to take one more test? They do if we want to know how well they compare to other students across the nation. We hear complaints about "all the tests" that Silver State students have to take, but there's one important test Nevada has suspended that needs to be reinstated.
Progress report
Nevada is beginning to embrace school choice
Could there be education reform in Nevada's future? There is certainly evidence that school choice is now getting a longer look than ever before among Silver State legislators and educators. The past year has seen marked progress for the concept of school choice. Take charter schools, for example.
Blueprint for a bailout
Will CCSD change the rules to benefit its preferred architectural firms?
Is the Clark County School District preparing an economic bailout for its five favorite architectural firms? Known as the district's "prototype" firms, these local companies have long monopolized new school construction in the district. The reason, according to the school district, is that these firms own the "cookie cutter" design templates that the district uses for all new school construction.
A change is in order
School board vs. advisors on spending loopholes
When taxpayer money is being spent, is it really too much to ask that an independent oversight mechanism be established? If you listen in on recent meetings of the Clark County School District Bond Oversight Committee (BOC), you might think so.
Tell us what you think (but not really)
The Clark County School Board remains ambivalent on public discussion
Extending an olive branch to members of the public who attend board meetings, the Clark County School Board is at the same time admonishing them that, "This isn't an opportunity to go haywire."
Transparency runarounds
CCSD attempts to subvert the public’s right to know
Despite lawmakers' desire to keep public records accessible and the people's business in the open, the very laws created to secure open government are often manipulated to erect walls and cloak agencies from public scrutiny.
Pools for schools
This week, the Clark County School Board is getting ready to spend $2 million of taxpayer money to help the City of Henderson build a new swimming pool. So, where is the district getting the money?
Business as usual
Hopes that new faces, new leadership and a new year would bring a new attitude to the Clark County Board of School Trustees have been swiftly squashed. January 2009 proved to be more of the same ole', same ole' for the CCSD board.
