Brian Sandoval

From Sandoval Fact Check, information on Sandoval's education record.

Brian Sandoval is a Republican lawyer and former state legislator and attorney general. He is a candidate for governor of Nevada.

Education

Sandoval has made limited policy proposals during the campaign, but his agenda will have a significant negative impact on education in Nevada, both K-12 and higher ed.


Proposal to cut teacher salaries

From Sandoval's plan: "The first proposal is an across the board 4% salary reduction for all state employees, including K-12 personnel." 1

Sandoval's proposal cuts just over $100 million per year, or $133 million in the 16 months remaining in the 2009-2011 biennium after the February 2010 special session.2

School districts spend about 55% of their revenue on instruction.3 Reducing school district funding by $133 million would result in $73 million less for classroom instruction, if school districts apportioned their cuts according to current spending.

"The short-term proposals account for more than $500 million in savings. If the budget hole grows beyond that amount, salary reductions will need to be greater than those proposed here."4

The state budget shortfall entering the 2010 special session was $824.5 million.5 Brian Sandoval's proposed budget savings amounted to $542.5 million.6 That left a difference of $282 million that would need to be made up through greater salary savings, according to the Sandoval plan.

School districts' share of the $282 million would be $190 million.

Every 1% reduction in the salaries of state employees, K-12 employees and Nevada System of Higher Education System (NSHE) employees yields $37.1 million in salary savings per year.7 $282 million in cuts to state employees, K-12 employees and NSHE employees dictates another 7.6% cut in pay on top of Sandoval's initial 4% cut - made up through layoffs according to state law.


Proposal to lay off one in five teachers

"The first proposal is an across the board 4% salary reduction for all state employees, including K-12 personnel."8

Reducing K-12 employee salaries by 4% is a $133 million cut.9 School districts spend about 55% of their revenue on instruction. The average Nevada teacher salary is $50,067.10 Unless contracts were reopened, school districts would have to lay off teachers to reduce spending by $73 million (55% of $133 million).

$73,000,000/$50,067 = 1,458 K-12 teachers eliminated.

"The sixth proposal diverts $110 million from the Clark County School District portion of the state class size reduction program to the state general fund."11

According to Clark County Superintendent Ruffles, cutting $110 million from the district's class-size reduction program would result in 1,635 fewer teachers in grades 1-3 classrooms.

$110,000,0000 cut from class size reduction = 1,635 teachers eliminated.

"The short-term proposals account for more than $500 million in savings. If the budget hole grows beyond that amount, salary reductions will need to be greater than those proposed here."12

The state budget shortfall entering the 2010 special session was $824.5 million.13 Brian Sandoval's proposed budget savings amounted to $542.5 million.14 That left a difference of $282 million that would need to be made up through bigger salary cuts. K-12's share would be $190 million, because K-12 salaries account for 67% of salary spending for state employees, higher education employees and K-12 employees. 55% of $190 million is $104.5 million. Unless contracts were renegotiated, teachers would be laid off.

$104,500,000/$50,067 = 2,087 teachers laid off

"The short-term proposals account for more than $500 million in savings. If the budget hole grows beyond that amount, salary reductions will need to be greater than those proposed here."15

Sandoval proposed cutting all state employees' salaries by 4 percent. In addition, additional across-the-board cuts proposed by Sandoval to deal with the extra $282 million shortfall would mean a 7.6% pay cut for state employees, K-12 employees and higher education employees. Every 1% in annual salary reductions for those employees yields $37.1 million in annual savings. To save $282 million, salaries would need to be reduced by another 7.6%, including higher education employees - for a total 11.6% reduction.


K-12 cuts summary

Total Cuts Cuts to Instruction Teachers & Staff Eliminated
$133,000,000 (4% cut) $73,150,000 1,458 K-12 Teachers
$110,000,000 (class-size reduction) $110,000,000 1,635 1st-3rd Grade Teachers
$190,000,000 (7.6% additional pay cut) $104,500,000 2,087 K-12 Teachers
Total: 5,080 Teachers

Proposed teacher cuts by county

There are 22,852 full-time teachers in Nevada.16 Eliminating 3,445 teachers statewide and another 1,635 teachers in grades 1-3 in Clark County would have the following county-by-county effects:

County Current Teachers Sandoval Cut Total Remaining After Sandoval Cut
Carson City 458 69 389
Churchill 238 36 202
Clark 16,102 4060 12,042
Douglas 384 58 326
Elko 578 87 491
Esmeralda 7 1 6
Eureka 26 4 22
Humboldt 207 31 176
Lander 69 10 59
Lincoln 75 11 64
Lyon 514 77 437
Mineral 46 7 39
Nye 360 54 306
Pershing 53 8 45
Storey 34 5 29
Washoe 3,620 550 3,070
White Pine 81 12 69
Total 22,852 5,080 17,772

Note: This chart represents full-time teachers only.17


Proposal to eliminate the class-size reduction program

"The sixth proposal diverts $110 million from the Clark County School District portion of the state class size reduction program to the state general fund."18

Consequences: 1,635 additional teachers eliminated.

In testimony before the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee on Jan. 18, 2010, Clark County School Superintendent Walt Rulffes stated that for every $15 million cut from the district's class-size reduction program for grades 1-3, 223 teaching positions would be eliminated, because class sizes would be larger and fewer teachers would be needed.19 Cutting $110 million from the district's class-size reduction program would result in 1,735 fewer teachers in grades 1-3 classrooms.


Proposal to cut higher education

Nevada currently ranks last among western states in the percentage of its revenues it spends on higher education - 7.1% compared with the western average of 10.5% and the national average of 9.1%.20

Sandoval's plan proposes even deeper cuts to higher education. The cuts are directed at faculty and staff and total approximately $66 million in the 2010-2011 fiscal year alone, as the Nevada System of Higher Education absorbs Sandoval's 11.6% cut in pay for university and community college employees. As in K-12, the $66 million in reduced spending would result in either pay cuts or layoffs.

There are about 6,600 professional and classified employees at Nevada's seven universities and community colleges. Layoffs of 11.6% in salary cuts would result in 770 professors, instructors and support personnel losing their jobs:21

Institution Professional employees Classified Employees Totals Sandoval Cuts
UNR 910 645 1,555 181
UNLV 1,366 781 2,147 249
Nevada State College 121 32 153 18
College of Southern Nevada 1,200 477 1,677 195
Truckee Meadows Community College 389 176 565 66
Western Nevada College 191 98 289 34
Great Basin College 160 84 244 29
Total 6,630 772

While cutting Nevada higher education, Brian Sandoval also doesn't want Nevada college students to get any more help from the federal government. He opposed - and said Nevada should fight in court - legislation that revamped the student loan program.22


Opposition to increased federal funding for student aid

A new federal law eliminates fees paid to private banks to act as intermediaries for student loans, saving $68 billion over 11 years that can be used to increase student loans.23

The U.S. Department of Education estimates Nevada students will receive an additional $118 million in Pell Grants because of changes in the student loan law that Brian Sandoval opposed.24

Sandoval's opposition to Nevada accepting new federal funding for higher education,25 puts him on the side of banks, not students, Nevada families, or economic development.

  • Sandoval opposes more than $100 million in new Pell Grant funding for nearly 3,000 middle class students in Nevada.
  • Sandoval opposes an increase in $7.5 million federal dollars for student loan default prevention, finance literacy and debt counseling.
  • Sandoval opposes allowing community colleges to apply for millions in grant funding to improve educational or career training programs.


Votes against school flexibility and modernization

Brian Sandoval was a state legislator in 1995 and part of 1997 before he resigned. During his time in the Nevada Legislature, Sandoval took two key votes on education.

  • In 1995 Sandoval voted against giving schools flexibility in their schedules that would have allowed for more instruction time for students.26
  • In the 1997 legislative session, Sandoval voted against renovating outdated school buildings or allowing new schools to be built.27

During his two terms in the Nevada Legislature, Sandoval was not a prime sponsor of any education-related bills.28


Support for vouchers

During a Nevada Newsmakers appearance on February 16, 201029, Sandoval stressed that he supports implementing vouchers in Nevada. And during an event in February he told a group of supporters, "I'm a big proponent on vouchers." He has stated his support repeatedly since.

Nearly 20,000 children in Nevada attend private school, or about 4.6% of school enrollment in the state.30 The 2009 Nevada Legislature appropriated $5,395 per pupil for public schools in 2010-2011.31 Under a voucher program, more than $100 million would be drained from public schools.