ENN Newsletters

After thousand of students lose supports and schools lose millions of dollars, the Commission on School Funding will revisit at-risk model

What is unfolding in Nevada’s public schools this past week feels less like routine belt-tightening and more like the arrival of the perfect storm - inconsistent investments, rising employee costs and inflation, and what experts coin the "demographic cliff,” a decline in school enrollment predicted by sinking birth rates. Nevada has experienced a 17.2% decline in fertility rates from 2011 to 2023, the fifth largest drop in the country and well above the national average of 10

White Pine Students to Get a New School! Last week, Educate Nevada Now (ENN) was honored to be recognized alongside Assemblymember Erica Mosca at the White Pine County School District Board Meeting for our work on AB224, a bill championed by Mosca during the 2025 legislative session. This landmark bill directs the State Treasurer to sell $100 million in state-level bonds to fund new school construction in districts unable to raise sufficient local funds. For years, White Pine

Nevadans need an honest debate around this controversial policy. If you recently came across The Nevada Independent’s article regarding the Trump Administration’s private school voucher policy, you may not have realized you were reading about a highly controversial and divisive federal initiative. The article failed to offer meaningful context around the scheme and often leans on talking points offered by national interest groups and the very private industries that stand to

Nevadans need an honest debate around this controversial policy. If you recently came across The Nevada Independent’s article regarding the Trump Administration’s private school voucher policy, you may not have realized you were reading about a highly controversial and divisive federal initiative. The article failed to offer meaningful context around the scheme and often leans on talking points offered by national interest groups and the very private industries that stand to

With more than a week removed from the Governor’s veto deadline, we take a look back at the good, the bad, and the mostly inconsequential K-12 education legacy of the 83rd Legislative Session. While some efforts were transformative, the session mostly fell short of expectations due to compromises on major issues and the Governor’s eagerness to veto even innocuous and common-sense bills. Though impossible to cover everything here, the following represents some highlights and

Dear friends, We need your support for AB 224! With only two days left in the 83rd Legislative Session, it is urgent that AB 224 gets a hearing in Senate Finance. This bill received bipartisan support through three committees and the Assembly and is now in the hands of the Senate Finance Committee. AB 224 issues bonds to replace century-old schools and DOES NOT NEED A FUNDING APPROPRIATION! Without state support many communities have no way of replacing unsafe and dilapidat

Senate Majority Leader Cannizzaro’s Comprehensive Legislation Expands Oversight, Elevates Early Education, and Strengthens Accountability Carson City, NV — As the 83rd Legislative Session nears its conclusion, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro has introduced SB460 — the EDUCATE Act — a sweeping piece of legislation aimed at transforming Nevada’s public education system with long-overdue oversight and a strong focus on student outcomes. “This bill touches on so many as

Fighting for Adequate Funding, Equity, Safe Facilities, Accountability, and Support for Schools With the 83rd Legislative Session underway, ENN has been actively fighting for Nevada students. Our priorities serve to ensure public schools are able to meet the needs of every student, regardless of their background or zip code. Now, more than ever, lawmakers and our communities must come together to protect and strengthen public education. Our students deserve it.

Successful leadership will not just lie on the shoulders of one person, we have a collective responsibility to move the district forward. This month, Clark County School District trustees began in earnest collecting input from the community around the selection of a new superintendent. In addition to a series of meetings with stakeholders groups, the district has asked community members for input via a survey, available here. For the input sessions, trustees tapped a wide var

ENN talks supporting Latino students and CCSD search begins! After years of expressing deep concerns, the Commission on School Funding voted unanimously to reexamine the new definition of “at-risk” and the method used for determining which students will be eligible for at-risk weighted funding. ENN has testified at numerous meetings about our concern with the new at-risk model, which uses AI and machine learning to determine which students will receive additional state fund

What can the newly formed Legislative Subcommittee on Education Accountability learn from the most recent K-12 audit? With the first meeting of the Legislative Subcommittee on Education Accountability fast approaching, understanding the recent K-12 audit is critical. Several weeks ago the Nevada Independent published a story about an education audit titled, '"Disturbing:’ Leaders question Nevada K-12 budget expansion after critical audit.” For years the community has been as

Tomorrow the Commission on School Funding hears from formula vendor about why we cap number of at-risk students to support among other concerns. This Friday, Infinite Campus will present to the Commission on School Funding regarding the company’s formula that determines which students are entitled to “at-risk” funding. Since this year’s implementation of Infinite Campus’s “Early Warning System” (“EWS”), many schools have been shocked by the result. The formula has denied fun

Interim Finance Committee votes against redirecting $3.2 million in emergency Covid funds for vouchers after granting organizations revealed they have $18 million in reserves. Las Vegas, NV - Last night’s legislative hearing on redirecting Covid relief funds to the Nevada’s Opportunity Scholarship private school voucher program shed light on the program's inaccurate numbers, disorderly reporting requirements, and unaccountable processing system. It also made clear that the

New bill is a more extreme voucher proposal that directly appropriates and quadruples funding for voucher scheme On Friday Governor Joe Lombardo introduced SB508, which makes a direct appropriation of $50 million dollars for private school vouchers. This bill fundamentally alters the current Opportunity Scholarship voucher program in significant and radical ways, managing to be even more extreme than a proposal made earlier this session. As so-called compromises go, it

Friends, There is an easy way to support SB144, a bill that would give businesses a tax credit to directly support Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Nevada’s public and charter schools. Please take advantage of the opinion section, available on the Nevada Legislative website, that allows everyone an opportunity to submit their position on a bill outside of public comment or emailing written testimony. The end of the 82nd legislative session is fast app

Friends, Legislative session is racing towards the finish line. With only a few weeks left, we are thrilled that SB 144 will be heard this Saturday, May 20th, in the Senate Finance committee. Educate Nevada Now has been proud to champion SB144, a bipartisan bill that provides tax credits to businesses who donate to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Nevada public schools.Currently, businesses can receive a tax credit for donating to private schools, but th

Bills to Watch and Ways to Get Involved this Legislative Session With the bill introduction deadline behind us, a better picture emerges of what lawmakers hope to accomplish during the 82nd Legislative Session. Aligned with ENN’s legislative priorities, we have detailed some important bills to watch and ways to participate in the process. ENN aims to support bills that provide additional funding and resources for Nevada’s K-12 public schools, work to solve our teacher rec

Friends, As the 82nd Session of the Nevada Legislature is underway, there is one bill we are particularly excited about! Educate Nevada Now is proud to champion SB144, a bipartisan bill that provides tax credits to businesses who donate to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Nevada public schools. Currently, businesses can receive a tax credit for donating to private schools, but there is no tax credit for traditional public schools or charter schools. This bi

Nevada is the only state to receive an "F" in all three grading categories Las Vegas - Nevada students continue to be among the worst funded in the nation, according to the 2022 Making the Grade report released December 13, 2022. The Education Law Center’s annual Making the Grade report examines the condition of public school funding across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report ranks and grades each state on three measures to answer the key question: How fai