Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21–Senators Tiffany, Cegavske, Rawson, Coffin, Raggio and Rhoads

 

March 17, 2003

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Referred to Committee on Legislative Affairs and Operations

 

SUMMARY—Directs Legislative Commission to conduct interim study concerning reconfiguration of school districts in this state. (BDR R‑56)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Directing the Legislative Commission to conduct an interim study concerning the reconfiguration of school districts in this state.

 

1-1  Whereas, Public education plays a crucial role in producing

1-2  well-informed, educated and productive members of society; and

1-3  Whereas, The current organizational system of public

1-4  education in Nevada was established in 1956, wherein county

1-5  school districts were created, the boundaries of which are

1-6  coterminous with the boundaries of the counties of this state; and

1-7  Whereas, When the system of county school districts was

1-8  established in 1956, the intended goal of the Legislature was to

1-9  provide a uniform system of high-quality education and educational

1-10  programs and to address problems with inequitable financing

1-11  associated with overlapping school district boundaries and the

1-12  complete lack of school district boundaries in other areas; and

1-13      Whereas, The population of the State of Nevada in 1956 was

1-14  240,100, with Clark County accounting for 40 percent of the

1-15  population, Washoe County accounting for 29 percent of the

1-16  population, and Esmeralda and Storey Counties each accounting for

1-17  less than 0.01 percent of the population; and

1-18      Whereas, The population of the State of Nevada has

1-19  dramatically increased during the past 46 years so that Nevada now

1-20  has a population of nearly 2.3 million, with Clark County

1-21  accounting for over 71 percent of the population, Washoe

1-22  County accounting for over 15 percent of the population, Esmeralda

2-1  County accounting for .0005 percent of the population and Storey

2-2  County accounting for .002 percent of the population; and

2-3  Whereas, As a result of the increasing population and changing

2-4  demographics in this state, a great disparity has occurred in the

2-5  number of pupils enrolled in the various county school districts with

2-6  a large concentration of pupils in certain school districts; and

2-7  Whereas, The Clark County School District, with a pupil

2-8  enrollment of over 255,328, accounts for 70 percent of the pupils

2-9  enrolled in the public schools in this state and, according to the

2-10  United States Department of Education, is the 6th largest school

2-11  district in the nation; and

2-12      Whereas, The Washoe County School District, with a pupil

2-13  enrollment of over 60,388, accounts for 16 percent of the pupils

2-14  enrolled in the public schools in this state, and, according to the

2-15  United States Department of Education, is the 71st largest school

2-16  district in the nation; and

2-17      Whereas, The Carson City School District has a total

2-18  enrollment of 8,763 pupils; the Churchill County School District has

2-19  a total enrollment of 4,724 pupils; the Douglas County School

2-20  District has a total enrollment of 6,989 pupils; the Elko County

2-21  School District has a total enrollment of 9,847 pupils; the Esmeralda

2-22  County School District has a total enrollment of 89 pupils, and is the

2-23  smallest school district in this state; the Eureka County School

2-24  District has a total enrollment of 285 pupils; the Humbolt County

2-25  School District has a total enrollment of 3,616 pupils; the Lander

2-26  County School District has a total enrollment of 1,355 pupils; the

2-27  Lincoln County School District has a total enrollment of 1,014

2-28  pupils; the Lyon County School District has total enrollment of

2-29  7,046 pupils; the Mineral County School District has a total

2-30  enrollment of 774 pupils; the Nye County School District has a total

2-31  enrollment of 5,279 pupils; the Pershing County School District has

2-32  a total enrollment of 898 pupils; the Storey County School District

2-33  has a total enrollment of 480 pupils; the White Pine County School

2-34  District has a total enrollment of 1,464 pupils; and

2-35      Whereas, The Esmeralda, Eureka, Mineral, Pershing and

2-36  Storey County School Districts combined account for less than .007

2-37  percentof the total pupils who are enrolled in the public schools in

2-38  this state; and

2-39      Whereas, The Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko,

2-40  Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye and White Pine County

2-41  School Districts taken together account for 14 percent of the total

2-42  number of pupils who are enrolled in the public schools in this state;

2-43  and

2-44      Whereas, A study of the reconfiguration of school districts in

2-45  this state is necessary to address the disparate growth between this

3-1  state’s county school districts and to ensure that this state’s system

3-2  of public education can more effectively educate its pupils and be

3-3  responsive to the concerns of residents of the schools districts; now,

3-4  therefore, be it

3-5  Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

3-6  Assembly Concurring, That, the Legislative Commission is

3-7  hereby directed to appoint an interim committee, composed of three

3-8  members of the Assembly and three members of the Senate, one of

3-9  whom must be appointed as Chair of the committee, to conduct a

3-10  study of the reconfiguration of the school districts in this state; and

3-11  be it further

3-12      Resolved, That the Chair of the committee shall appoint an

3-13  advisory committee of not more than three persons, who are not

3-14  Legislators and are nonvoting members, as follows:

3-15      1.  One person who is regularly employed as bond counsel for a

3-16  school district;

3-17      2.  A financial officer with governmental experience; and

3-18      3.  A financial officer who is familiar with the operation of

3-19  school districts with an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 pupils; and

3-20  be it further

3-21      Resolved, That the committee shall develop a plan that

3-22  includes an analysis of the:

3-23      1.  Reconfiguration of the school districts in this state,

3-24  including, without limitation, the division of existing school districts

3-25  that have a high number of pupils enrolled and increasing pupil

3-26  enrollment into smaller school districts; and

3-27      2.  The feasibility of combining school districts with a low

3-28  number of pupils enrolled and declining enrollments; and be it

3-29  further

3-30      Resolved, Thecommittee shall address the following issues in

3-31  its plan:

3-32      1.  The geographic boundaries of the proposed new school

3-33  districts;

3-34      2.  The liability for the outstanding bonded indebtedness of a

3-35  school district if that school district is divided into more than one

3-36  school district or combined with one or more school districts;

3-37      3.  The manner in which the assets of a school district will be

3-38  assigned if that school district is divided into more than one school

3-39  district or combined with one or more school districts;

3-40      4.  The effect of the plan on the educational effectiveness of the

3-41  public schools in this state;

3-42      5.  The effect of the plan on the racial and ethnic composition of

3-43  the public schools in this state;

3-44      6.  The organizational structure of the proposed new school

3-45  districts;

4-1  7.  The composition of the boards of trustees of the proposed

4-2  new school districts and the manner of election;

4-3  8.  The manner in which the licensed teachers and other

4-4  educational personnel who are currently employed by a school

4-5  district will be assigned or reassigned as a result of the division of

4-6  the school district or the combining of the school district;

4-7  9.  The effect of the plan on the community, including, without

4-8  limitation, whether increased participation by parents, legal

4-9  guardians or other members of the community is likely as a result of

4-10  the division of an existing school district or the combining of school

4-11  districts;

4-12      10.  The effect of the plan on the financial equity of the public

4-13  schools within each school district that is proposed to be divided

4-14  and each school district that is proposed to be combined with one or

4-15  more school districts;

4-16      11.  The ability of the proposed new school districts to generate

4-17  money for the costs of the maintenance, repair and construction of

4-18  school buildings and facilities; and

4-19      12.  The number of pupils enrolled in each new school district;

4-20  and be it further

4-21      Resolved, That the plan developed by the committee must:

4-22      1.  Ensure that a uniform system of education will continue to

4-23  be offered throughout this state in accordance with Section 2 of

4-24  Article 11 of the Constitution of the State of Nevada; and

4-25      2.  Set forth the actions necessary to carry out the plan and a

4-26  timeline to carry out the plan; and be it further

4-27      Resolved, That the committee may accept gifts and grants

4-28  from any source for the purpose of carrying out its study; and be it

4-29  further

4-30      Resolved, That any recommended legislation proposed by the

4-31  committee must be approved by a majority of the members of the

4-32  Senate and a majority of the members of the Assembly appointed to

4-33  the committee; and be it further

4-34      Resolved, That the Legislative Commission shall submit a

4-35  report of the results of the study, including, without limitation, the

4-36  plan developed by the committee, and any recommendations for

4-37  legislation to the 73rd Session of the Nevada Legislature.

 

4-38  H