Strategic Plan to Address Growth in Southern Nevada

SCHOOLS / EDUCATION

The challenges facing Southern Nevada’s educational systems over the next 20 years are at a scale that is incomprehensible to most education professionals in the United States. The Clark County School District currently provides 219 schools. In order to meet 20 years projected growth needs, the district needs to construct 166 additional schools. In effect, an opening of a new school once every 44 days for the next 20 years is needed.

Educational challenges go beyond facility construction and include quality of education needs. The 166 new schools will require 14,500 teachers over the 10,000 currently employed by the district. For higher education, developing a trained professional workforce is a key component of both quality of life and economic diversification. Currently, Nevada ranks 47th of 50 states in the percent of people with college educations and we have the lowest “go to college” rate in America. At the same time, Nevada’s per capita expenditures for elementary and secondary education ranks in the bottom third of all states. If the Southern Nevada region is to evolve into the next century as a global competitor, we must be prepared to provide the educational foundation.

The SNSPA Needs Assessment Committee identified Clark County School District (CCSD) facility needs by developing classroom size standards and applying these standards to the population estimates adopted by the Authority. In addition to capital facility needs, the committee also addressed quality of education needs.

The SNSPA Infrastructure Financing Committee has found that the 10-year capital facility needs of the CCSD can be met because the November 3, 1998 school bond question was approved. This initiative will allow the CCSD to issue new bonds when old bonds are retired as long as a property tax increase does not result including the following:

Clark County School District capital facility needs for the 10 - 20 year time horizon remain to be addressed.

Quality of education programmatic needs are unfunded and need to be addressed by the State of Nevada.

Higher education in Southern Nevada is funded by the state and needs should be addressed by the State of Nevada.

Goal 1: Provide schools to meet the demands of the projected growth of Southern Nevada

OBJECTIVES	STRATEGIES
A. Establish an ongoing, consistent funding source for capital improvements.	1. Implement the school construction and modernization program outlined in the approved November 3, 1998 school bond question. 2. Explore reliable sources of funding for construction, operation and maintenance of facilities. 3. Identify and implement capital funding sources for the 10 - 20 year time horizon.
B. Construct schools on a timely basis.	1. Acquire school sites prior to development of an area. 2. Support efforts to aggressively locate and reserve sites for timely school construction including reservation of Bureau of Land Management sites. 3. Continue and enhance collaborative efforts with local jurisdictions to identify growth patterns and associated school needs.
C. Encourage multiple use of school facilities.	1. Increase local Parks and Recreation Departments ability to schedule the use of recreational facilities. 2. Expand uses of schools for civic and community groups and cultural activities. 3. Encourage integration of school and public library facilities including electronic access to library resources.
D. Provide necessary higher education facilities.	1. Encourage the development of a long term capital improvement plan for higher education in Southern Nevada. 2. Explore adequate funding sources to meet the facility needs of the Community College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. 3. Fund Southern Nevada institutions of higher learning consistent with the needs of growth.

Goal 2: Provide education for Southern Nevada residents that ensures students will learn and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, attitudes and ethics necessary to succeed as contributing members of society.

OBJECTIVES	STRATEGIES
A. Develop methods that will facilitate the Board of Trustees of the Clark CountySchool District to focus on educational needs.	1. Consider separating the management of education and construction of schools. 2. Support and encourage the use of an oversight board to cooperatively yet independently oversee construction with the Board of Trustees focusing on educational needs.
B. Provide a sufficient number of qualified teachers.	1. Continue and enhance partnerships with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Community College of Southern Nevada to develop and train teachers locally and in accordance with the needs of Southern Nevada. 2. Explore additional funding to enhance teacher development programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Community College of Southern Nevada. 3. Encourage the College of Education to increase the number of teachers graduated and to offer a premier advanced professional development program to educators at the local, state, and national levels. 4. Support establishment and attainment of teacher performance criteria. 5. Develop programs and strategies to hire and retain the best qualified teachers in the marketplace. 6. Support modification of certification requirements to allow experts in the field to teach.
C. Provide productive learning environments.	1. Achieve and maintain the following class sizes:  Kindergarten    52:1 (two half day sessions at 26 students per session)  Grades 1 - 3    15:1  Grades 4 - 12    30:1 2. Work toward achieving nine month school year schedules. 3. Address the cost of textbook or other learning expenses. 4. Explore increasing per pupil funding expenditures for programs that benefit student achievement including: A. Upgrade equipment used in occupational education. B. Dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery programs. C. Tuition-Free summer and intersession programs. D. Truancy reduction through enhanced attendance tracking. E. Expansion of access to schools or programs of special emphasis (magnet schools). 5. Provide funding for programs that demonstrate improved student achievement. 6. Support legislation to ensure that appropriate proportions of ending fund balances are retained. 7. Support legislation and other measures that ensure safe learning environments and campus security. 8. Develop uniform, consistent, and equitable state funding allocations for higher education programs between Northern and Southern Nevada. 9. Support programs to enhance educational opportunities for students with special needs. 10. Encourage programs that develop parental involvement in education. 11. Continue and enhance partnerships between the Clark County School District and the university of Nevada, Las Vegas/Community College of Southern Nevada for shared facilities and programs.
D. Provide a trained professional and technical workforce.	1. Encourage the Board of Regents and School District Board of Trustees to develop a long term strategic plan to coordinate educational programs at the Community College of Southern Nevada, the University,of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Clark County School District. 2. Continue and enhance partnerships with the Clark County School District and private sector businesses to develop programs for workforce preparation. 3. Establish partnerships between the Community College of Southern Nevada, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and private sector businesses to develop and fund programs that provide education targeted toward business and business attraction needs. 4. Recommend that the State of Nevada and University Board of Regents adequately fund the Community College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada Las Vegas consistent with both growth and the goal of establishing a world class higher education status for Southern Nevada institutions. 5. Fund Southern Nevada institutions of higher learning consistent with the needs of growth.