As this new legislative session begins, many newly elected officials have taken office. Unsurprisingly, several newly elected Democrats are adopting talking points from teachers' unions and opposing Opportunity Scholarships. Sadly, this opposition is not new, but it is also not necessarily because they do not support school choice, but rather because the teachers' unions have funded their campaigns and drawn a hard line against school choice.

The Opportunity Scholarship is a small private choice program that primarily assists approximately 1,600 lower-income students. Most of these students come from minority backgrounds, with 62 percent identifying as such. This program is helping a community of students that desperately need this support.

These students come from families with incomes at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty line where the average household income is about $56,000.

School choice is a bipartisan issue that enjoys support from 71 percent of individuals across all political parties. Recent polling conducted by the governor’s team indicates that a significant majority of Nevadans back school choice, with 85 percent of Hispanics and 79 percent of independents in favor. This issue is fundamentally about empowering parents to ensure their children receive the best possible education.

The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores have confirmed what many Nevada parents already know: Our public school system is failing our children. Only 26 percent of Nevada students scored at or above NAEP Proficient in 2024, statistically unchanged from 2022 (29 percent) and 1998 (23 percent).

Nevada’s public schools rank near the bottom in national performance metrics. Students are struggling in reading and math are putting their futures — and Nevada’s economic growth — at risk. Low-income families, who cannot afford private tuition or to move to better school districts, are left with no choice but to send their children to failing schools.

Decades of underperformance, coupled with incidents of bullying, have left families desperate for better options. In Nevada, 1 in every 7 high school students reported being bullied on school property, with more than 4,300 cases that resulted in expulsion or suspensions.

Bullying has become a serious issue in our schools. Many students face daily harassment, and in too many cases administrators do not address these problems effectively. This issue is especially prevalent among minority families. I frequently hear from the Hispanic community that they often feel they lack rights or support from the schools and struggle to receive the necessary help or accommodations for their children.

Families must have the freedom to move their children to safer environments where they can learn without fear. No child should be trapped in a toxic school environment simply because of their ZIP code.

School choice is the solution to this inequity. It empowers parents with access to scholarships to schools that provide better alternatives to the status quo.

Democrats in Nevada have long championed policies that support working families, and school choice should be no different. Supporting school choice does not mean abandoning public education; it means embracing a system that allows competition and innovation to drive improvement. When parents have real choices, all schools — public and private — are incentivized to improve.

Our children deserve better than a broken system that has consistently failed. The future of our state relies on an educated and capable workforce, which begins with ensuring that every child has access to a quality education, regardless of their background or income level. School choice is popular with Nevada families, our governor is committed to expanding educational options in our state, and there is momentum building for nationwide school choice. 

It’s time for Nevada Democrats to listen to their constituents and support school choice. 

Valeria Gurr is a senior fellow for the American Federation for Children. She is an advocate for educational choice, particularly for underserved families, and founded la Federación Americana Para los Niños.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].