As Economic Forum Meets, Nevada Lawmakers Should Prioritize School Funding Recommendations and ‘Pass the Plan’

**LINK TO VIDEO**

CARSON CITY – Today, as the state’s economic forum meets to finalize budget projections for this year’s legislative session, advocates from across Nevada joined in Carson City to urge legislators to adopt common-sense, necessary measures laid out by the state’s Commission on School Funding and “pass the plan.”

Brian Wallace, Vice President of the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), issued the following statement:

“In 2022, the Commission on School Funding released their clear, research-backed roadmap to reach optimal funding within 10 years. To do so, Nevada must commit to at least $700 per-pupil increase in the next two years, totaling just over $600 million for the biennium, to stay on track for our students. Unfortunately, since 2022, there’s been more efforts to build world class stadiums and studios than there has been in building a world class educational system for our students. We must pass the plan that the commission developed.”

“Fortunately, our legislators do have options. With over $1.2 billion in the rainy day fund, lawmakers have the resources to meet this moment. You can see from the chart that our reserves can more than cover the recommended $604 million needed to keep us on track for our students. As we have said before, it’s still a rainy day in Nevada. It will continue to be a rainy day until we pass the plan to fully and optimally fund education for our students.”

Beth Smith, President of the Washoe County School Board, speaking in her personal capacity, issued the following statement:

“In Washoe County, we are facing a $7 million budget deficit with the governor’s budget for the next school year, an even higher deficit the year after. This is not due to overspending. This is due to the same rising costs that each Nevadan family is facing themselves. The Washoe County School District is exemplary in its mission to educate our children while upholding fiduciary responsibility. That $7 million number is not just a figure on a spreadsheet. It could mean larger class sizes, fewer resources, reduced programs and less support for students and families we serve. It threatens the quality of the education that every child in our community deserves.”

“Let’s be clear, the long term solution is passing the plan to fully fund our schools. We have the plan to get our districts across the state to close deficits, protect critical programs and offer our students the education they deserve.”

Maggie Babb, educator at Desert Heights Elementary School in Reno, issued the following statement:

“The stark reality is Nevada has never fully funded its K-12 education system. We have spent decades under-investing in our students and expecting our schools to do more with less. Nevada consistently rates near the bottom in per pupil funding, trailing the national average by $4,000 per student. We see the consequences of that underfunding every day in overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers, outdated materials and students who aren’t getting the support they need to succeed. Our schools are in trouble not because educators are not trying hard enough, but because we have not given educators the means to succeed. Nevada’s public schools are not broken, they have been starved. And unless we take real action, the damage will only deepen.”

Andrew Feuling, Carson City Schools Superintendent, issued the following statement:

“I am very grateful for what happened in the last biennium with the increase in funding for schools. The difference that has made in terms of instructional support for our kids, behavioral supports, safety in our schools and improving what was an atrocious vacancy rate is something that truly has made a difference for everyone in our schools. What is a problem is that one year doesn’t make up for three decades of underfunding. The impact of that is still in our schools. You have the state recognizing back in 2005 that there was a real question about the level of funding coming into our schools. They have commissioned study after study after study that have all said the exact same thing. That there is not enough funding to meet all the requirements, all the needs of our students on a daily basis, in our schools.”

“If we are looking to continue where we have gotten in just the last year, to continue to grow and improve, we need more people in our schools to support kids, we need more competitive salaries to continue attracting people into education. And the options now, because the silver platter, this menu of options [from the Commission on School Funding] has not been taken advantage of, are very limited. And so when you look at the possible options, they may not be the most enticing options, but the reality is that there are funds available to continue this path forward.”

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About the Nevada State Education Association: The Nevada State Education Association has been the voice of Nevada Educators for over 120 years and represents teachers, education support professionals, and other licensed professionals throughout Nevada.