Molasky parents speak out

      School children's backpacks weighed heavily on the minds of parents at a town meeting hosted by Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown and Clark County School District officials on Oct. 22 at Molasky Junior High School.
      Numerous parents voiced concerns about the weight their children are required to carry in books on their walks to and from school each day, which could be just less than two miles each way. Parents said the backpacks weighed anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds.
      Parent Michele Mulligan said it is a health issue, and questioned how many adults over the age of 40 have bad backs, possibly as a result of lugging heavy backpacks when they were children. Mulligan suggested schools purchase two sets of books -- one that stays at home with the child and one that stays in the classroom -- to reduce the heavy loads.
      "This eliminates the possibility of losing the books or breaking the bindings, throwing them on the ground in their backpacks or whatever," Mulligan said.
      Pam Hawkins, Molasky's principal, said some of the older schools that at one time had high enrollment are presently supplying children with double sets of textbooks because enrollment at those particular schools is now lower and there are extra books. However, she said lack of funding is the biggest problem in providing them to all schools.
      "I would love to be in that position myself," Hawkins said. "We've spent $212,000 in textbooks this year, and that's more by about $30,000 than what's allocated to us for textbooks. The cost of textbooks is horrendous, as much as $50 per book."
      "I empathize with you," Mulligan said. "This is a Clark County School District issue that needs to be addressed, because I do believe the cost effectiveness of it at the end of the school year what you pay in damaged books or lost books will only make up for it."
      Parent Brenda Saylors said another solution would be to bus more children to school, especially those who live 1.5 miles away.
      Presently, pupils eligible for bus transportation by the district constitute those who live at least two miles away from school. The district also transports elementary school pupils who must cross a hazardous area, including construction zones or major intersections without a crossing guard.
      "They are pulling that weight," Saylors said. "We are causing back injuries on our children, and shoulder and neck (injuries), carrying these bags to school every day. These kids can't do this for the entire time that they have to walk to school."
      Lori Longmere, field investigator for the Clark County School District's Transportation Division, said the school district is aware of the problem and is looking into it. However, she said it is a matter of funding, which could cost the district anywhere from $10 to $13 million per year to decrease the minimum distance to 1.5 miles.
      The district presently operates 824 bus routes on a $36 million per year budget, carrying up to 72,865 eligible pupils. Longmere said the two-mile ruling was set by the school board many years ago.
      "People in the school district's transportation department, I want to know how far you park your vehicles to walk to your office," parent Linda Bingham questioned. "And do you carry 25 pound bags, purses or briefcases? But yet you're asking kids who are human like us, to carry these backpacks two miles twice a day, that's 20 miles a week. (I was told) it is a parent's responsibility to make sure our children get back and forth to school. I agree, that's our responsibility as a parent, and we accept that. But shouldn't the decision of us having a bus be our decision and not yours."
      "Yes, parents you do have a say so," Longmere said. "But you know where your say so has to be at the present time. We've got to stick together as parents, as citizens and get on our legislature. We've got to say `Hey, we need money for busing.' "