Education
Lawmakers consider changing kindergarten eligibility
Children born in August and September may have to wait longer to enroll in public kindergarten, if a new bill passes the Nevada State Legislature. Under existing law, children must be 5 years old by Sept. 30 in order to enroll in kindergarten that same calendar year. School year start dates vary by district and […]
Nevada falls short in early childhood education, report finds
Nevada ranked 40th nationally in access to state-funded preschool in the 2019-20 school year, according to a new report, but the state also saw an increase in enrollment and a significant increase in spending. Nevada spent $19.7 million on preschool last school year — an $11.7 million increase over the previous year — but publicly […]
Nevada students deserve extra support and right tools to succeed in post-pandemic world
A year ago, Nevada was forced to shut down to stop the spread of the new and deadly coronavirus. Life was upended and suddenly everyone had to adapt to a new normal. For students that meant being pulled out of the classroom, away from their peers and teachers, and getting their education from behind a […]
Democrats fan out to tout giant relief bill
With their reelections perhaps hinging on how the public will view the impact of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP), Democratic members of Nevada’s congressional delegation highlighted what they say the legislation will mean for schools, families, business owners, and medical providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. For Nevada, the share of […]
Measure would give businesses tax credits for donating to charter schools
A new bill is taking aim at what has long been coveted by charter school operators: dedicated money for their buildings. Nevada charter schools receive per-pupil dollars from the state’s distributive schools account, but they receive no facility funding, which is generated at the county level through property taxes. School districts receive both. Charter school […]
Legislation would waive tuition for Native American students
Lawmakers have introduced legislation that would create a college tuition waiver for Native American students in Nevada. The proposal — shepherded by Democratic Assemblywoman Natha Anderson, D-Washoe — had its first hearing Thursday in the Assembly Committee on Education. The bill would prohibit the Board of Regents from charging tuition for members of a federally […]
Democrats press Biden to cancel student debt
WASHINGTON – Joycelyn Fish drove through several feet of snow that blanketed Wisconsin one February night so she could get to a nationally televised town hall and question President Joe Biden about the crush of student debt. The blunt reply she got from Biden—that he wouldn’t take action to eliminate $50,000 in debt per student […]
Expert: Suicide is preventable
If just one person on Kevin Hines’ bus ride to the Golden Gate Bridge had bothered to see his pain, he says he may not have jumped off the bridge. Hines, who survived the 225 foot fall in 2000, says he was a mess on the bus — crying and screaming at the voices in […]
Not fazed by legislative inaction, CCEA head predicts revenue talk still coming
Voters next year may get the opportunity to raise the state’s gaming and sales taxes to support K-12 education, after the deadline for legislative action on the proposals came and went Friday. The Nevada State Legislature had the first 40 days of the current session to approve two initiative petitions spearheaded by the Clark County […]
Charter schools cite special topics, flexibility as reasons they hire unlicensed teachers
Several charter school leaders are publicly opposing a proposed bill to require charter schools to hire only licensed educators, but they suggested they could support the bill if amended to provide some flexibility. Assembly Bill 109, which received its first hearing Thursday in the Assembly Committee on Education, would end charter schools’ ability to hire […]
CCSD Supt. Jara thinks his contract runs until 2023
CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara’s contract runs out on June 30, 2021. But his representatives argued in two letters to CCSD outgoing attorney Mary-Anne Miller that his contract actually expires in 2023. The letters concern the automatic renewal clause in Jara’s contract – usually a fairly straightforward extension clause after the stated term of the agreement […]
Who’s teaching at Nevada charter schools?
A bill to remove a teacher licensure exemption available to charter schools has been quietly introduced into the Nevada State Legislature, but the extent to which the exemption is being used isn’t known — even to top education officials. Assembly Bill 109 would require Nevada charter schools to follow the same teacher licensure requirements school […]