Nevada lawmakers hear governor's charter school heavy education bill
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo introduced the Nevada Accountability in Education Act before the Democratic-controlled Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
'The gap between our highest and lowest performing schools is wider than ever. That's not simply a school issue, it's a system-level issue,' Lombardo said. 'While some schools are excelling, too many students remain underserved. This legislation aims to change that.'
His bill would give the state control over underperforming schools while offering incentives to teachers whose students overachieve.
Lombardo's proposal has open enrollment, which means a child can apply to attend any school within a school district, despite their zip code. School bus transportation would be provided to open-enrollment students and students attending charter schools.
It would also remove a cap on the number of students who can enroll in a charter school started by a city or county. Both Las Vegas and Henderson are among the municipalities in Clark County that started their own schools.
But Lombardo's push for charter schools may doom this bill among democrats.
'We do have a responsibility as good stewards of public funds that school districts and schools should be held accountable for supporting our students and that student achievement,' Assem. Selena Torres-Fossett, D-Clark County, said. 'My concern right now is that this policy, as drafted, seems very punitive without providing the support.'
The debate over charter schools has become front and center with democratic leadership wanting more oversight, and State Senate Republicans voting against the education budget Wednesday night because it did not include charter school pay raises.
The last day of the legislative session is June 2.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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