Gibbons wants to overhaul education system

Gov. Jim Gibbons proposed an overhaul Wednesday of the state's education system, calling for eliminating laws that mandate class size reduction, full-day kindergarten, and local government and school district collective bargaining.

His eight-point plan, which drew swift criticism from some lawmakers and the state's largest teacher's union, will be on an agenda for a special legislative session he intends to call, though no date has been set.

Gibbons proposed allowing smaller school districts to consolidate, adopting a statewide school voucher system, and giving districts more control over how their money is spent.

The plan also would eliminate the elected state Board of Education, and replace it with a five-member advisory board. Three members would be appointed by the governor and one each by the Senate majority leader and Assembly speaker.

"This is all about choice and efficiency," Gibbons said in a written statement. "We must give more control over our children's education to their parents and take back power from bureaucrats, unions and other officials."

Gibbons, a first-term Republican who is seeking re-election this year, said eliminating full-day kindergarten and class size reduction mandates would save about $155 million in the 2011 fiscal year.

"Twenty years of class size reduction in Nevada has not created results to make it cost effective," Gibbons' statement said.

While eliminating those mandates, he proposed increasing state distributive school account funding and giving districts control over how its spent.

Gibbons has asked state agencies to prepare budget cut scenarios of up to 10 percent, and has said education and higher education would not be immune.

"This is an attempt to be as fair as we can across all state budgets," said Lynn Hettrick, Gibbons deputy chief of staff.

"What we're saying is ... give them all the money in one pot and turn them loose" without being encumbered by mandates, Hettrick said. "We want to give them the flexibility to do what they need to do in their district."

Critics called the plan political posturing, and predicted little support by lawmakers.

"I don't think it has a chance," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee.

"We're already funded last in the country," said Lynn Warne, president of the Nevada State Education Association. "What the governor needs to do is focus on how we fund our schools."

Gibbons, a staunch anti-tax proponent, faces at least two challengers in the Republican primary - former U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval and former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montadon. Rory Reid, chairman of the Clark County Commission, is the only declared Democrat in the race.

Reid said Gibbons' proposal would undermine 20 years of effort to improve education in Nevada.

"I think anybody would recognize that teaching works better with more individual attention," he said.