State will take federal money despite strings, Gibbons says

Gov. Jim Gibbons said Thursday he'll take the one-time federal education funding approved by Congress earlier this week despite the strings attached.

The Edujobs bill contains $83 million for Nevada schools to create or maintain 1,400 teachers' jobs for the coming school year.

"With both declining revenues and declining enrollment, Nevada's K-12 schools have been hard hit and our children are bearing the brunt of this economic downturn," Gibbons said.

Gibbons said Thursday he was evaluating whether the strings attached to the money would commit Nevada to continuing that added spending in future years before deciding whether to accept it. But a spokesman said even if the money is only good one year, it will help up to 1,400 people make their mortgage payments and other bills.

Gibbons said he has a specific idea for the money: To fully fund class size reduction for the school year starting in just a week or two. He said the mandated class sizes in grades 1-3 have never been fully funded by the state or that funding "was diverted by school districts to other uses." He said pumping the $83 million into that program would enable the state to actually study whether class size reduction works to improve student achievement.

He said Clark County Superintendent Walt Rulffes and Washoe Superintendent Heath Morrison have both said they would prefer to use the money to add teachers in elementary school - but in all six grades rather than just the first three.

But Gibbons said the Edujobs bill is "another example of Washington, D.C., dictating to the states how local governments spend tax money." He said it is arrogant for Washington to believe all 50 states have identical education needs.

"Congressional leaders should have given states like Nevada more leeway to spend this money," he said.

He said some school districts may need the money for other things but that, the way the law is written, it can't be used for needs such as textbooks, student supplies or computers, only for teacher salaries.

The other funding approved by Congress and signed by the President Tuesday is a Medicaid extension which contains $79 million for Nevada.

Gibbons said Tuesday that since the grant simply extends funding for current programs, there was no concern about accepting it.

In addition, state officials pointed out that money was already built into the state budget and not taking it would create an $80 million shortfall.