Expanding school choice has been a pillar of Gov. Joe Lombardo’s agenda since he was elected in 2022. But actually doing so has proved a tall order in the Democrat-controlled Legislature. 

During The Nevada Independent’s IndyTalks event on Thursday, Lombardo said though he’s taken small steps to provide more schooling options for students, he considered it a disappointment he hasn’t been able to do more, such as his failed attempts to expand the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program to help low-income families access private school education. 

He said the majority of school choice advocates are expecting “bigger, bolder and better.” 

“So I have to keep fighting away,” Lombardo said. 

The governor recently decided to opt into a federal school choice tax credit program, but public school advocates worry it won’t allow for state oversight. 

He added that he doesn’t think the traditional education system is working, referencing Nevada’s historically low rankings on school quality. 

“We got to do something different,” Lombardo said. 

Lombardo touted compromises he was able to reach with Democrats on K-12 education, such as funding raises for charter school educators, who were left out of a 2023 bill that raised other public school educators’ salaries. He said the 2023 funding helped the Clark County School District (CCSD) reduce its teacher vacancy rate. 

“It ensures that they stay within the environment, and you’ve created an environment so they can provide for their families,” Lombardo said. “People want to be educators again.”

In addition, Lombardo celebrated other legislation that prioritizes students from 1- and 2-star schools for open enrollment (allowing them to enroll in a school that they are not geographically zoned for) and provides funding so school districts can offer transportation for those students in need, as they don’t offer transportation for students using open enrollment.

He also highlighted a provision in the education omnibus bill that he partnered on with Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) that created more accountability measures for school districts and leaders. 

He also credited his administration’s push for early education, literacy policy and efforts to increase accountability measures for the decline in 1-star schools, from 223 in the 2022-23 school year to 140 in 2024-25, as well as increases in the state’s high school graduation rate. 

Lombardo said during Reading Week he had an opportunity to talk to teachers, who expressed appreciation for legislation he pushed requiring educators who work with students in K-3 be trained on the science of reading, a research-based approach that emphasizes phonics and building students’ vocabulary.

“They thanked me for making those mandates because it’s changing the whole dynamic of early education,” Lombardo said. 

But school districts already experiencing budget deficits or funding declines still say that Nevada’s per-pupil funding, which ranks at the bottom compared to other states, is not keeping pace with rising costs despite these investments.

When asked if Nevada needed to do more to increase K-12 funding, Lombardo said that school funding isn’t the sole measure of success, and he argued that having the highest per-pupil funding won’t necessarily guarantee a state will have higher performing students.

News briefs

CCSD school incumbents file for re-election — All three of the Clark County School Board trustees that are up for re-election have officially filed to run again, but they will face challengers as others have jumped into the race. Candidates have until Friday to file to run for office. 

As of Friday afternoon, Clark County School Board Trustees Linda Cavazos, Brenda Zamora and Irene Bustamante Adams, who serves as the board’s vice president, filed for re-election. Their challengers include David Gomez, president of the Nevada Peace Alliance nonprofit, and Robert Hutchinson, an interim facilities director, parent and district graduate. 

Meanwhile, appointed Trustee Isaac Barron, who also serves as a North Las Vegas city councilman, is running for state Senate. He said he would resign from the school board if he is elected to that office. 

In the Washoe County School District, Trustees Colleen Westake and James J. Phoenix, appointed to the board last January, are also looking to retain their seats. Washoe County School Board President Adam Mayberry has filed to run for Sparks City Council instead. 

You can track who’s running for office in Nevada here. 

Douglas County schools avoid fiscal watch — The Department of Taxation’s Committee on Local Government Finance did not place the Douglas County School District under fiscal watch amid the district’s approximately $5.4 million budget deficit, Superintendent Frankie Alvarado told his school board last month. 

During the district’s meeting with the committee on Feb. 25, it presented a three-phase plan to get into a better financial shape, build back its reserves and prevent future deficits. The district also outlined steps already taken, such as hiring freezes, eliminating vacant positions and reducing staff, which is expected to save the district about $3 million. 

The district is also planning to merge two Gardnerville elementary schools.

Reading assignments

Nevada rejects Trump admin childhood vaccine rollbacks, maintains existing regulations

Officials said the new federal guidelines disregarded evidence-based recommendations supported by nearly every national and state health organization, and Nevada was choosing to “follow the science.”

Nevada has nearly doubled free pre-K seats. Why are 1 in 10 vacant?

Delays and difficulties managing the Nevada Ready! seats could explain why the program’s vacancy rate this year is almost triple last year’s.

Featured social media post 

The Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston and I were among the several community members and officials who volunteered during Nevada Reading Week last week. It was such a fun time, and I loved getting to read one of my favorite books, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.