More Details Emerge On Nevada Legislature’s Proposed Educational Spending Plans
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Although the grand plan has been cooked and served, the final details of the Nevada Higher Education budget arrangements got some more action by the state Senate’s Finance Committee. Cy Ryan’s May 15th report in the Las Vegas Sun provided some interesting tid-bits on the wrestling within the higher education system for the dollars and positioning.
The idea that Higher Education didn’t get treated as well as K-12 also found its way into black and white, something that has been floating around the legislative building in a number of different variations and snide observations for a while. Past legislative sessions found the shoe on the other foot, with the Higher Education lobby besting the public school champions in the “who can get more” legislative funding fest.
How Much Funding For Per-Pupil Magic Number:
Although it might have been available other places, earlier, the news account included the first indication that I’ve seen printed on how much budget support was planned for the coming two-year budget.
The current rate of per student allocation is $5,214 and the news account reported that this amount will go to $5,251 for the 2010 fiscal year and $5,395 for fiscal year 2011.
On a budget for schools basis, the presented figures show that the current level of $1.436 Billion is going to $1.483 Billion next fiscal year (2010) and $1.559 Billion for 2011.
An important point worth noting (because as in the case of the entire state budget news it might not get noticed in that manner) the numbers for the next two years are bigger than they are for the present year and are bigger for the second year of the biennium than they were for the first fiscal year.
While we don’t really know what we get for spending more money (except a bigger bill and the expectation that it needs to be even bigger) we do anticipate that most public pronouncements and assessments we will be exposed to will take on the flavor of how much isn’t being done.
Looking ahead to the 2011 Legislative session and considering the need for improved responsibility by those involved in spending the tax dollars that they receive. The case cannot be made strongly enough that we deserve to be given the information to help us understand how these budget allocations track to the classroom and translate into the education product our students receive.
This same concept needs to also be made available by those in charge of the state’s Higher Education community. They may also wish to make a complete accounting of all of the revenue they receive in order to alleviate the possible misunderstandings that there might be more we haven’t been told with the resources they will be operating with.
Although the grand plan has been cooked and served, the final details of the Nevada Higher Education budget arrangements got some more action by the state Senate’s Finance Committee. Cy Ryan’s May 15th report in the Las Vegas Sun provided some interesting tid-bits on the wrestling within the higher education system for the dollars and positioning.
The idea that Higher Education didn’t get treated as well as K-12 also found its way into black and white, something that has been floating around the legislative building in a number of different variations and snide observations for a while. Past legislative sessions found the shoe on the other foot, with the Higher Education lobby besting the public school champions in the “who can get more” legislative funding fest.
How Much Funding For Per-Pupil Magic Number:
Although it might have been available other places, earlier, the news account included the first indication that I’ve seen printed on how much budget support was planned for the coming two-year budget.
The current rate of per student allocation is $5,214 and the news account reported that this amount will go to $5,251 for the 2010 fiscal year and $5,395 for fiscal year 2011.
On a budget for schools basis, the presented figures show that the current level of $1.436 Billion is going to $1.483 Billion next fiscal year (2010) and $1.559 Billion for 2011.
An important point worth noting (because as in the case of the entire state budget news it might not get noticed in that manner) the numbers for the next two years are bigger than they are for the present year and are bigger for the second year of the biennium than they were for the first fiscal year.
While we don’t really know what we get for spending more money (except a bigger bill and the expectation that it needs to be even bigger) we do anticipate that most public pronouncements and assessments we will be exposed to will take on the flavor of how much isn’t being done.
Looking ahead to the 2011 Legislative session and considering the need for improved responsibility by those involved in spending the tax dollars that they receive. The case cannot be made strongly enough that we deserve to be given the information to help us understand how these budget allocations track to the classroom and translate into the education product our students receive.
This same concept needs to also be made available by those in charge of the state’s Higher Education community. They may also wish to make a complete accounting of all of the revenue they receive in order to alleviate the possible misunderstandings that there might be more we haven’t been told with the resources they will be operating with.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 5/16/2009 3:47 AM 
Categories: Nevada Educational Funding
Tags: Nevada Higher Education Budgets Nevada Legislature
Categories: Nevada Educational Funding
Tags: Nevada Higher Education Budgets Nevada Legislature
Comments