Children are the focus of most policymakers, most everywhere. In an age of heightened political polarization, the hope remains that differences can be set aside for the benefit of the next generation. At least, so the talking point goes.

So, if children are Nevada’s top priority, how is our focus paying off?

A week after the Legislature adjourned, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its annual Kids Count Data Book, which provides a sobering progress report for Nevada. The Silver State is ranked 47th overall. But there IS some good news to be had – we’re improving in most metrics over time – but not enough to improve our comparative rankings.

Let’s start with education, where despite a concerted effort, Nevada remains ranked 49th overall (Note: data in this report is from 2015, and; therefore, does not reflect even initial impacts of legislation passed during that session.). We made tremendous progress on graduation rates – from 38 percent not graduating on time in 2010/11 to 29 percent four years later. However, the US average rate is more than 10 points lower at 16.8 percent, and while we’re within striking distance of neighbor Oregon, all our hard work has left us ahead of only DC and New Mexico, for a position of 49th of out 51.

Hopefully, the intensive focus on Read by Three is paying off, with a five-point drop from 2010 and 2015. However, at 71 percent not proficient, the state still has a long way to go – we need another six points to catch up with the 2015 national average.

The rest of the education stats are even more stark. Despite a one-point increase in proficiency, 74 percent of eighth graders – almost 3 of 4 – are behind in math. Perhaps even sadder is that the majority of students in every state except Massachusetts is behind, and Nevada’s rank here is actually one of its better ones – 42nd. And 66 percent of our young children are not in school, leaving Nevada 51st of 52. The US average is 53  percent; Mississippi is at 50 percent and the top four states are below 40 percent.

But, as we often forget, education is not everything in a child’s life. Nevada is ranked 45th in Health Care by Kids Count. And while substantially more children are insured, the state is seeing more low-birthweight babies and an increased child death rate. In the Family and Community category, Nevada also ranks 45th. Teen births are substantially lower in 2015 than they were in 2010, and more children are growing up in a household headed by a high school graduate. But a greater share of children are in single-parent families – almost 4 in 10 – and living in high-poverty areas.

This leads us to the final category: Economic Well-Being. The Silver State is surprisingly high here at 40th place, and saw improvements over the prior report in all four metrics. Still, one in five children live in poverty. One in three have parents whose employment is not secure, and live in a household where housing costs are a burden. And 10 percent of teens are not in school and not working – and it’s not immediately clear how much of our improvement comes from teens staying in school vs. getting jobs.

Taken together, this is concerning from a moral as well as economic standpoint, as our ability to attract and/or retain the best companies, entrepreneurs, and workforce depends on being able to provide a positive and healthy environment for the state’s children.

It seems the campaign season is already upon us. Maybe candidates should be pushed to provide not just a plan to continue climbing out of our K-12 hole, but also to reduce poverty, improve the quality of employment, dramatically increase participation in preschool, and improve health outcomes to match gains in coverage. If they don’t, regardless of their party or policy approach, then perhaps their commitment to Nevada’s kids, and even to economic development, is not as big of a priority as they make it out to be. It IS the moral and economic question of our time as Nevada residents, and as registered voters as well.

John Restrepo, the author of this op-ed, is an economist and Principal of RCG Economics. He is an expert in regional economics and forecasting in Nevada and the Mountain West.

Disclosure: John Restrepo co-publishes the Stat Pack, a client of the communications consulting firm owned by The Nevada Independent’s managing editor, Elizabeth Thompson.