Panel approves bill to shorten school year to cut costs

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's 17 school districts could cut the instructional year by as many as 10 days to reduce spending and avoid teacher layoffs under a bill approved Monday by a Senate panel.

After the vote on Assembly Bill 117, Clark County School District Associate Superintendent Joyce Haldeman said her district is negotiating with employee unions on a proposal to offer eight unpaid furlough days to teachers and school workers.

Schools would be closed on those days. Each day off would save $8.4 million, she added. The furlough proposal was made by the unions, Haldeman said. Eight unpaid furlough days is the equivalent to a 5 percent salary cut -- a reduction that Gov. Brian Sandoval requested in his school budget.

The vote on the bill came during a meeting of the Senate Education Committee. Only Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, voted against the bill. She wanted an amendment to ensure school districts first reduced their professional training days before cutting instructional days.

Chances of the bill winning approval appear certain since Assembly members unanimously back the bill. The Assembly Education Committee drew up the proposal.

Haldeman said the district's goal is to see that at least four of the possible furlough days won't be instructional days.

State law now requires schools to offer 180 days of instruction each year. School districts, however, have two to five days a year of professional training for employees.

Under the bill, school districts first would petition the state superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the 180-day instruction requirement because of an "economic hardship." The state superintendent would review these requests and forward them to the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee for final approval.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.