Budget Watch Nevada

According to the L.V. Review-Journal article on May 17, the “Clark County School District’s general fund budget for the upcoming year will exceed $2 billion for the first time.” Of course, Superintendent Ruffles and his lapdogs at the School Board ALWAYS remind us that the budget “represents the tremendous growth in the CCSD.”

But the growth in the budget far exceeds projected student enrollment changes. In fact, enrollment grew between 2003-04 and 2007-08 (estimated) by 17.1%. Okay, so the budget should grow at roughly the same rate, right, with maybe a slight bump for inflation?

That’s correct, if you think in linear mathematics terms and use common sense. But when it comes to spending your money, the District uses exponential mathematics. So to cover this 17% growth over 5 years, CCSD is spending 58.5% more money. That must be the “new math,” or “fuzzy math,” or as I call it, “monopoly power bureaucracy math.”

In responding to public cries for deconsolidating the CCSD, the District always argues that they enjoy economies of scale that smaller districts wouldn’t achieve. By their very logic, then, the rate of spending increases in the budget should decrease, and the cost per student should go down, not up.

It is high time the legislature take responsible action:
1. Break up the inefficient monster that is the CCSD.
2. Enable vouchers and credits for private schools, charter schools, home schooling.
3. Welcome competitive forces into this bureaucratic, monopolistic morass.
4. Demand accountability from educators, administrators, and students.