In terms of leadership on public education, Nevada lawmakers earned a passing grade and then some during this year’s legislative session.
The session yielded passage of more than a dozen bills that will boost funding for the state’s chronically underfunded schools, ease overcrowding, provide hundreds of new and renovated classrooms, improve student wellness, enhance early childhood learning and more.
Among the key measures:
• Lawmakers voted to fully implement a weighted school funding formula that was first passed in 2019. The Pupil-Centered Funding Plan provides extra funding for students with special circumstances — such as gifted students; English-language learners; and students who are at risk of dropping out due to homelessness, transiency, difficult home environments, etc. The new funding plan has undergone two years of study by a special commission on how it would be implemented, and with this year’s vote will now go fully online. That’s a huge relief, as the previous state funding formula had been in place since the 1960s at a time when Nevada’s population was far smaller, less diverse and more rural. The old formula didn’t adjust for modern realities of education, where the costs of providing a high-quality education to some students are higher than others.
• Senate Bill 450 allows districts to roll over general obligation bonds for school construction and maintenance for 10 years. These bonds were created by the Legislature in 1997, under the provision that they be approved by voters. In 2015, lawmakers allowed districts a 10-year extension of the bonds without going back to voters, and this year’s action creates another extension. This was a critically important need for the Clark County School District, which has faced a one-two punch in the form of rapid population growth that has left many classrooms overcrowded and inadequate funding to build or renovate schools and keep up with maintenance needs. According to the district, the extension will allow for construction of 13 new schools and renovations of 33 schools.
• Lawmakers redirected a portion of mining tax revenue to public education and created a tiered tax structure for silver and gold mines’ gross revenue. The measure will provide an estimated $170 million to K-12 schools every two years. Under the tiered tax structure, mines making $20 million to $150 million will be charged a 0.75% excise tax while those making more will pay 1.1%.
• A suite of other bills will enhance recruitment and retention of school counselors, psychologists, social workers, etc., while also supporting suicide prevention and training for students and employees.
CCSD reported that all told, educators increased education funding by a combined $500 million over the next two years. State officials estimate that in fiscal year 2024, per-pupil funding will increase to $9,185 from the current level of $7,466.
“I thank the Nevada Legislature for prioritizing school funding, school safety, school infrastructure and student mental health throughout the session,” CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara said in a prepared statement. “We are thankful for the hard work of Gov. Steve Sisolak and the legislators in providing our educators with the tools and funding needed to support student achievement.”
Indeed, Nevada lawmakers have been on the right trajectory in recent years when it comes to public education, starting in 2015 when Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval spearheaded the largest tax increase in state history for K-12 schools.
This steady march upward helps our entire state, starting with our children and their families and widening out to our ability to attract new businesses and diversify our economy. Strong public schools are a magnet for prospective employers, providing them with well-qualified workers while also helping them recruit and retain workers seeking high-quality education for their families. Then there’s a more direct benefit: Consider that the bond extension will generate an estimated $3 billion-plus in economic output in Southern Nevada.
The fact is, when we improve our schools, everybody wins. So to our legislative leaders, we say keep fighting the good fight.