This edition is heavy with news from the Legislature, a sign that we are nearing the end of the session, or at least Part I if lawmakers are unable to wrap things up by June 2 and a special session is called. This week we are spotlighting education bills we are keeping tabs on. (Yes, that was a reference to our Behind the Bar newsletter.)

I want to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions on what I should be covering to [email protected]. 

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Notes from the Legislature

No more ban on teacher strikes?

Teacher strikes have been illegal in Nevada since the 1960s. SB161, which passed a Senate committee late Wednesday in a 5-2 vote, could change that.

Much of the bill ties into a 2023 contract dispute between the Clark County School District (CCSD) and its teachers union, the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), that went on for nine months before it was settled in arbitration. 

“One of the best ways for us to bring balance and accountability to the school districts is to empower those at the front lines of our education system, our teachers,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D-Las Vegas).

During the contract battle, CCSD took CCEA to court, accusing the union of being behind mass teacher absences that led to staggered class cancellations at individual schools. CCEA argued those actions were taken by individual teachers, some who weren’t even union members and were out sick with the flu or COVID. A judge ruled the sick outs constituted an illegal strike. 

Nguyen argued her bill is a better alternative to CCEA’s 2026 ballot initiative to give teachers the right to strike and would be easier for lawmakers to amend later if they need to, unlike a ballot initiative that would tie their hands for two legislative sessions or four years.  

CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita told The Indy on Friday the union would withdraw its petition if the bill is passed. He said it's scheduled to go on the 2026 ballot after signatures met the November 2024 deadline and have been certified. 

CCSD did not testify on the bill during the hearing nor submit a statement, but it was opposed by the school board and superintendents associations. 

Here’s the context: 

• Under 1969 state law, it’s illegal for public employees, including teachers, to go on strike.
  • The law was created at the urging of Strip casino owners, who felt a walkout by Clark County school teachers was disrupting their businesses. 
  • Potential consequences for striking include a fine of up to $50,000 per day to the organization; a fine of up to $1,000 per day for an organization officer; imprisonment for contempt of court, and suspension, dismissal or pay deduction for any employee who participates in a strike.
• Nguyen and CCEA argue this law is outdated. 
• Nguyen’s bill would allow teacher unions to request a court authorization for a strike in order to address an issue “detrimental to the wellbeing of students” such as class sizes, the physical, emotional or mental health and safety of teachers and district violation of state laws or regulations. The court could authorize the strike if it determines it would be “equally or less detrimental” to students than the issues prompting the strike.
  • The bill leaves room for a court to terminate or amend its order. 
  • School districts would still be allowed to provide essential services such as counseling and food services to students if a strike occurs. 
• In addition, the bill would limit punishments for an illegal strike to fines against the union and its officers. It would no longer require the teachers union to pledge not to strike in order to be recognized. It also changed the definition of an illegal strike, which CCEA has previously said was too broad, to exclude concerted actions taken by teachers at one or more school sites unless the concerted conduct is engaged on a districtwide basis. 
• Nevada State Education Association, a statewide union representing teachers and support staff that is not affiliated with CCEA, said it supports teachers’ right to strike but opposes the bill because it doesn’t extend this power to other groups of educators, putting them at a disadvantage during bargaining season.
  • Attorney Bradley Schrager, a co-presenter on the bill who represented CCEA in the strike case, argued that teachers are the only CCSD educator group that has seen its contract negotiations go into arbitration four times in the past decade. 

Diving into Cannizzaro’s education bill 

Last December, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) proposed an ambitious plan to improve education by providing funding for universal pre-K in a state where only 9 percent of 4-year-olds and 1 percent of 3-year-olds have access to Nevada's pre-K program. 

But recent news of expected state budget woes put a damper on her 104-page education bill, SB460, which was introduced in late April. It’s scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday. 

The bill states it would provide grant funding “to the extent money is available” to support free early childhood literacy and readiness programs serving children younger than 6, regardless of their household income. It also includes $10 million to fund facilities for early childhood education and $50 million for grants to support early childhood literacy and readiness programs.

Cannizzaro told The Indy in a Monday interview that while funding universal pre-K might not be possible given the economic realities, she still wants to figure out how much funding lawmakers can provide this session to expand pre-K. Cannizzaro said she also wants to have conversations about what the state can do to get there one day, though she did not commit to supporting bills that do raise revenue, such as those on property tax reform and adding a sales tax on digital goods. 

“Our kids deserve that,” she said. “We know that it will improve educational outcomes across the board, and I believe will allow us to actually save money in the long term because our kids will be better prepared when they enter the educational space following pre-K.”

Like Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, she’s also centering her bill around increasing school accountability.

Her bill would create a state board to oversee school districts, consisting of six members including the governor, the state superintendent of public instruction and a teacher. Cannizzaro said the board could be activated to take action against a school district violating a state law after giving the district’s school board a chance to get the district in compliance with state law. 

Cannizzaro said the board would provide the state with the way to step in during situations outside of the legislative session, such as CCSD’s 2024 budget crisis. 

“This really provides some teeth and some actual ways in which to pull districts or school boards in and to hold them accountable,” Cannizzaro said. 

The bill establishes new requirements for future superintendents and chief financial officers (CFOs). It also gives the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) the final say on those school board’s picks for those positions and decisions to terminate the superintendent. The bill also allows NDE to remove a superintendent if a third of their schools are underperforming, and appoint an interim superintendent.  

It comes after Cannizzaro and Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) joined in on calls for former CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara to leave the district. During its budget crisis, CCSD announced it fired its former CFO. 

The bill also calls for greater oversight for charter schools, requiring all charter school teachers to hold a license or endorsement to teach. State law currently provides flexibility for charter school educators teaching classes related to a specific business or industry, although charter school advocates say nearly all teachers at charter schools are licensed. 

The bill also provides an opportunity for the district school board to object to the formation of a new charter school. 

Last year, the Washoe County School District officials were unsuccessful in pushing back against a proposed charter school that they said could hurt the district’s nearby schools, which were not overcrowded.  

And Cannizzaro’s bill calls for more oversight of the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which helps children attend private schools with donations businesses make in exchange for tax credits. It also sets up new reporting requirements for private schools where the scholarship recipients attend.

School choice advocate Valeria Gurr said in a social media post she opposes another provision of the bill to require scholarship recipients to take the same state-mandated tests as public school students even though they take other nationally recognized tests. 

Reading Assignments

Charter schools poised to again divide Nevada lawmakers in session’s final weeks

A new fight is brewing over funding to support raises for charter school educators. 

Paying for school construction in rural Nevada is tough. A Nevada lawmaker might have a solution

Officials say two Ely schools built more than a century ago have many issues that make them unsuitable for learning, but have no money to replace them. 

Extra Credit

KSNV: Tragic loss of senior sparks student-led petition for high school crossing guards

Students are asking for more crossing guards after a driver who was allegedly drunk hit and killed a Las Vegas high school senior as she was walking near her school.

This story was updated at 5:19 p.m. on 5/12/25 to add a $50 million funding allocation proposed in Cannizzaro’s bill and clarifies context about accountability provisions.