Hundreds rally on Strip against proposed cuts to higher education

Proposed state funding cuts to education would eliminate jobs, wipe out entire college programs and ensure that crowded public school classrooms stay that way, said protesters who took their opposition to the Strip on Sunday.

Hundreds of people gathered for the march that began at noon near the Bellagio and proceeded west on Flamingo Road to the Palms. Las Vegas police estimated the crowd ranged from between 200 to 700 people. One officer, who asked not to be named, said the group grew in size as the march progressed.

Natalie Aguilar, who is pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said students are worried that cuts will jeopardize their futures.

"We don't want our schools to get cut," Aguilar said. "We want our degrees."

Gov. Brian Sandoval has proposed a $5.8 billion state budget for 2011-13, with significant cuts to public education. His budget shows a 9 percent, or $212 million, drop in state support from current spending for public schools. Higher education faces $162.4 million in cuts to state support, which would reduce state spending on colleges and universities to 2003 levels, higher education officials have said.

Police described the group as peaceful.

Protesters held signs and chanted "Recall Sandoval," and "48th in the nation, we need education."

Dee-dee Sanders, an English teacher at Liberty High School in Henderson, said she participated in the protest because Clark County School District teachers "need a voice," and the Legislature can't keep "gouging from the working class."

Sanders said she is worried about losing her job.

District officials have said the proposed cuts would magnify the impact of earlier budget cuts to public education. The school district, for example, has eliminated 1,734 positions since 2007 to make up for a series of budget shortfalls totaling $375 million.

The demonstrators said Sunday the protest was organized by UNLV students. Word of it spread to other Southern Nevada campuses through social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter.

The protest followed the late February announcement from College of Southern Nevada President Michael Richards that he may have to close one of three campuses and most or all of its nine satellite centers because of funding reductions. Richards said CSN stands to lose about $26 million under the governor's proposed budget.

Under Sandoval's proposal, UNLV will have to cut $47.5 million from its budget over the next two years, officials have said.

Demonstrators on Sunday waved signs urging passing motorists to honk in support of education. Other signs read: "Stop the War on Education" and "Note to Sandoval: We Vote."

Several protesters who spoke to the Review-Journal said the Legislature needs to seriously consider raising taxes instead of cutting education funding.

Aaron McKinnon, who said he attended UNLV on several government-sponsored scholarships, is afraid that state and federal cuts to public education will one day limit students' ability to seek government assistance to pay for college.

McKinnon, who dropped out of UNLV to start a family, said his 11-year-old son feels the effects of the cuts directly at his elementary school, where teachers have at least 30 students per class.

McKinnon said, "It's all going to affect me and my son down the road."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.

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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. James.Tucker Mar. 7, 2011 | 11:13 p.m. Report Abuse

   America became a world power by educating it's populace. We need to be the smartest and the best or someone else will.

2. Darrin Mar. 7, 2011 | 8:58 p.m. Report Abuse

   So, according to the UNLV website, there were 22,708 students there in 2009.
   So, you know, I guess that if only 700 were protesting, then the vast majority are doing okay.

3. Darrin Mar. 7, 2011 | 8:16 p.m. Report Abuse

   @paul.b I left school at age 16 despite my school head asking me in person to stay on. I needed to get a job to help out my family financially. What does that have to do with anything?

4. des2841 Mar. 7, 2011 | 7:07 p.m. Report Abuse

   God forbid we feel entitled to "Housing, Food, Health and Education"! Just like you said, Guru, they're BASICs! I'll stop feeling entitled to SURVIVE when those 5-10% of folks who own 85-95% of OUR resources stop pretending they got to where they are through "hard work" and pulling up their damn bootstraps, get real with the rest of us, and at least stop being so greedy that we even have to wonder why, no matter how hard we work, we cannot afford a decent roof, decent food, good health, and a adequate education! Especially those of us who just happen to be born with the wrong genitals, skin color, sexual orientations, etc etc etc.
   
   No one at this protest was asking to get their educations paid for, we're asking for an adequate University with reasonable prices to be there when we go to PAY OUR TUITION!!!!!! This kind of University is not possible without funding. And don't forget that we're tax payers too.

5. paul.basilio Mar. 7, 2011 | 7:05 p.m. Report Abuse

   @ Darrin - it is not about feelings, it is about a structural situation in which a fistful of greedy egomaniacs are destroying democracy, drastically suppressing the living standards for the majority of the population, and demoting my homestate into a third-world region governed by "pump and dump" mentality. Did you go to a private school?

6. Fred Mar. 7, 2011 | 4:18 p.m. Report Abuse

   Oh, No! Paul Krugman says education won't save us.
   
   "But there are things education can’t do. In particular, the notion that putting more kids through college can restore the middle-class society we used to have is wishful thinking. It’s no longer true that having a college degree guarantees that you’ll get a good job, and it’s becoming less true with each passing decade."
   
   What now liberals?

7. Electric38 Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:51 p.m. Report Abuse

   On line classrooms are known to cut the cost of education substantially. Why is Las Vegas the last to "get it"? Redundant teaching is a huge waste.
   Shift part of the burden of education cost to on line multimedia presentations and digital books.
   Every first grade teacher is basically doing the same thing all around the country. Can't we get the best presentations on-line to virtual classrooms?
   We waste so much money at all levels of education by not using the internet to its fullest potential.
   School buildings are only used for a part of the year also wasting energy and taxpayer money.

8. Guru Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:40 p.m. Report Abuse

   New Rule: every time someone demands money, just give them what they want?

9. Guru Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:28 p.m. Report Abuse

   The sense of Entitlement infects every basic function in our society: Housing, Food, Health and Education. What are the boundaries?

10. Darrin Mar. 7, 2011 | 3:26 p.m. Report Abuse

    @ paul.b Why the jealousy? No-one is allowed to be successful through hard work and sound investment? They should have to share their finances with losers and layabouts? Is that it?
    I just made a donation the the UNLV Faculty Club Scholarship Endowment fund on their website, and I encourage everyone reading this today to the same.
    Any amount will be helpful.

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