Report questions spending at Las Vegas, NM schools

THE GLARING MONEY PROBLEM FOR LAS VEGAS CITY SCHOOLS IS NO SURPRISE -- LEGAL COSTS. AT ROBER...  More »

THE GLARING MONEY PROBLEM FOR LAS VEGAS CITY SCHOOLS IS NO SURPRISE -- LEGAL COSTS. AT ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL ALONE THERE'S THE FOOTBALL HAZING SCANDAL -- A FORMER TEACHER CHARGED WITH RAPING A STUDENT -- AND JUST RECENTLY A COACH FIRED FOR ALLEGEDLY BEATING UP KIDS IN A MCDONALD'S BATHROOM.... LAWSUITS ARE EXPECTED TO COST MORE THAN -- 750,000 DOLLARS. MOST OF THAT IS COVERED BY INSURANCE. BUT ACCORDING TO THE REPORT -- INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE COULD SKYROCKET BECAUSE OF THOSE HIGH LEGAL FEES AND SETTLEMENTS FROM ROBERTSON. ACROSS TOWN -- THE REPORT FINDS THE BIG PROBLEM WITH THE WEST LAS VEGAS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS MONEY MANAGEMENT. THE REPORT SHOWS THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN USING EMERGENCY FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO GIVE RAISES TO EMPLOYEES. THE DISTRICT ALSO SPENT NEARLY A QUARTER-OF-A-MILLION-DOLLARS ON A CONSULTANT WHO PROVIDED TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP ENERGY COSTS DOWN -- SOMETHING THE STATE WOULD DO FOR FREE. THE REPORT ALSO FOUND TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ABOUT 15-HUNDRED FEET FROM EACH OTHER -- THAT QUALIFY FOR EXTRA STATE FUNDING BECAUSE OF THEIR SMALL SIZE. BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN LAS VEGAS WERE FOUND TO BE EXTEREMLY TOP HEAVY AS WELL -- WHEN COMPARED TO DISTRICTS OF SIMILAR SIZES- HAVING AROUND TWICE AS MANY ADMINISTRATORS PER TEACHER THAN STATE AVERAGE.  « Less