Clark County teachers rally against classroom overcrowding

By Molly Waldron

CREATED Mar. 13, 2013

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  • Clark County School District teachers rallied in Las Vegas on Wednesday to send a message to Carson City. Their goal is to make state lawmakers aware of the overcrowded classrooms. Video by ktnv.com

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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Clark County School District teachers rallied in Las Vegas on Wednesday to send a message to Carson City. Their goal is to make state lawmakers aware of the overcrowded classrooms.

With signs held high and voices raised, teachers said we can't continue on this course. Just over the past five years, the Clark County School District's budget has been cut by more than $800 million. As a result, 217 elementary schools are over capacity, and many high schools are following suit.
 
"In most of my classes there are about 50 students," said Bryan Ramirez, a junior at Clark High School. "Sometimes in my English and Spanish classes, I have to sit on the floor. It's kind of degrading. I don't like having to do my work on the floor. It doesn't allow teachers to give much one-on-one attention."
 
Teachers are spread thin as more students are added into the district each year due to population growth.
 
District leaders hope the plan to hire about 1,700 new teachers by next school year will help ease congestion. But they admit it's not going to completely solve the problem.
 
"We need a long-term fix," said district spokesperson Amanda Fulkerson. "Even with these new teachers going into the classrooms, we're still going to have some of the highest class sizes in the nation."
 
Fulkerson said education is a hot topic in the current legislative session. The district, and its teachers, are optimistic that they can send a clear message - that Clark County schools need more teachers and funding.