Latest news with #AB398
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada Legislature passes charter school raises, bill goes to Lombardo's desk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A key piece of legislation received final approval Thursday night in the Nevada Legislature, putting an end to a fight over education funding. Raises for charter school teachers, a missing component in the education budget, were approved as the Nevada Senate passed Assembly Bill 398 (AB398). Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo had threatened to veto the $12.4 billion education bill because it left out charter school teachers. He called those raises 'non-negotiable.' AB398 allocates nearly $38 million — $19.3 million annually — for the raises. The bill also includes $45 million to fund additional compensation for teachers across the state in 'hard-to-fill' positions, including Title I schools. The bill passed 20-0 in the Senate, a bipartisan display of the Legislature's commitment to treat charter school teachers the same as any other teacher employed by a Nevada school district. Education support professionals (ESPs) are included in the charter school plan. State report shows Nevada charter schools outperform public schools in test scores 'This is a major victory for Governor Lombardo, the legislature, and all Nevadans. For more than three sessions, I have worked on education reform and getting permanent teacher pay raises. I am honored that we got it done with bipartisan support,' Republican Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen said in an emailed statement. Hafen and Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager sponsored the bill. In an interview this week with 8 News Now, Yeager said there's a reason for keeping charter school raises separate from the overall education funding. 'We segregate it out in a different bill because we want to make sure that that money actually goes to increase compensation both for teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) and it's not just supplanting other money,' Yeager said. 'It allows legislators to stay involved in the process over the next two years to make sure that happens. And then going into the next legislative session, we can decide whether we want to put it in the base budget or not,' he said. Charter schools will be required to provide the State Public Charter School Authority with certain basic information, including the number of teachers and ESPs employed as of October 1, 2024, and October 1, 2025. A plan to provide the salary increases is also required. Money for the raises will be allocated by the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee and distributed through the charter authority. Lawmakers have already dipped into the Education Stabilization Account, known as the rainy day account for schools, to meet spending outlined in the $12.4 billion budget. On May 8, lawmakers approved a $115.7 million withdrawal on top of $126.9 million allocated from the same fund on May 7. In total, lawmakers are drawing that account down by about a quarter-million dollars, leaving it with an estimated reserve of $639.6 million. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Extra pay for ‘hard-to-fill' teaching jobs provided in legislation announced Tuesday in Carson City
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Teachers who take open positions in public schools that have proven to be hard to fill will be rewarded with extra pay under legislation announced Tuesday by Democratic leaders at the Nevada Legislature. Teachers for Title I schools and special education vacancies are immediate goals of Assembly Bill 398 (AB398), introduced Tuesday by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat who represents District 9 in southwest Las Vegas. 'We know that too many of our schools in critical subject areas are struggling to attract and retain talented teachers. This bill provides a targeted solution, offering additional compensation to the educators who step up to teach where they are most needed. Our teachers are the backbone of our public education system,' Yeager said at a news conference in front of the Nevada Legislature in Carson City. 'We must never give up on our public education system, never give up on our teachers, and we must never give up on our children. They are the future of our state and they are the state's future leaders,' Yeager said. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo reminded Democrats that they cannot ignore charter schools. 'Parents deserve the right to choose the best education for their children. Period. I will only sign legislation that protects school choice and expands opportunity – nothing less,' Lombardo said in a post on the X social media platform. CCSD school board selects new superintendent Democratic Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro joined Yeager outside the Legislature to support the effort. Her efforts last session through SB231 were applauded for investing in education and addressing teacher vacancies. Marie Neisses, president of the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), said, 'Our top priority is ensuring every classroom has a qualified teacher. Speaker Yeager is championing legislation that addresses teacher shortages, particularly in Title 1 and special education.' The bill doesn't specify exactly how much more money teachers would earn. Lawmakers would determine how much money is available to school districts statewide, which would be appropriated from the general fund or from the Education Stabilization Account. AB398 also contains restrictions on funds that cannot be used, including weighted funding that currently provides 'Victory services' and 'Zoom services.' The money would be apportioned by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Las Vegas hotel rooms would be cleaned daily under proposed Nevada law A fiscal note attached to Yeager's bill indicates it would require an additional $50,287 in the 2025-26 fiscal year and $63,744 for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The ongoing cost is estimated at $127,489 every two years. Specifically, the bill defines 'hard-to-fill' positions: '(1) teacher positions at certain Title I schools; and (2) teacher positions and other positions filled by licensed educational personnel whose duties include actively teaching pupils in certain subjects which are suffering from a critical labor shortage.' 'Make no mistake about it, our children perform better when we have qualified educators in every classroom,' Yeager said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
