Nevada lawmakers put college mergers back on table

CARSON CITY -- Talk of closing or merging schools in the Nevada System of Higher Education is back on the table less than two weeks after the Board of Regents voted to stop discussing it.

Direction came Tuesday from legislators on a subcommittee after college presidents presented cuts that did not add up to the $162 million of reductions in Gov. Brian Sandoval's proposed budget.

Sen. Steven Horsford asked Chancellor Dan Klaich to prepare a full impact report by April 5, including scenarios with and without closures and mergers.

Regents had a heated debate March 11 whether to keep discussing the cuts. Some regents said discussion was traumatic and the depth of cuts was unlikely.

Scenarios included merging three northern Nevada community colleges and folding the Desert Research Institute into UNR or UNLV.