TIME TO PUT POLITICS ASIDE AND NEVADA STUDENTS FIRST

During his State of the State address, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo pledged to increase funding and eligibility for Opportunity Scholarships, expand charter schools, create the Office of School Choice, and increase funding for public schools at a record number.

Legislators, such as Senator Heidi Seevers Gansert, went to work introducing SB 220 Opportunity Scholarships, which would expand the scholarship program to serve approximately 6,000 students who cannot afford another educational option, to attend schools of their choice if their current assigned public school is not working for them.

SB 220 would also increase eligibility for 400% of the federal poverty line, children with disabilities and children of first responders. However, because Democrats in Nevada have control of both chambers and are vehemently against educational choice, SB 220 was never set to get a hearing.

Enter Governor Lombardo — a leader not afraid to go against the grain and willing to expend political capitol for the children instead of accepting the status quo.

The Governor’s Office introduced AB400, legislation that would significantly improve school choice in Nevada with the help of the Opportunity Scholarship Program, charter schools, and other educational provisions.

All-in-all, the robust bill would increase the eligibility requirement for Opportunity Scholarships to 500% of the federal poverty line, while creating the Office of School Choice to help families with education options. The bill also adds additional funding to expand the Opportunity Scholarship to more deserving students and families, and includes transportation funding for charter schools.

Lombardo’s strategy regarding school choice in Nevada is bold. He is following the Florida educational model, which has made it one of the strongest states for educational freedom in the country. Florida ranks number one when it comes to providing educational opportunities and freedom to families, and it has led the nation in school choice options for students and families for the past two decades.

Parents love having school choice for many different reasons, including academic quality, safe environments, location, disciplinary policies, class size, extracurricular activities, and diversity, among other topics. Families want the freedom to choose an education provider that meets their needs, whether it is in the form of homeschooling, micro-schools, private schools, charter schools, magnet schools, or even traditional public schools.

Nevada leaders should be supportive of these options, especially after the recent Data Dive: 2023 Legislative Polling that was released showing school choice is not only popular; it has a 71% bipartisan support across all demographics in the state. The highest backing comes from Hispanic and Black voters at 74% and 81%.

To truly bring educational choice to our state, we need systemic reform of the current education system that is not serving every student as they deserve.

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show that the academic achievement gaps among Nevada children have widened, and we know this is true across all ethnicities. However, the academic losses were more profound among Hispanic and African American children. Fourth-grade black students are now behind approximately by over two years and half a year in reading, and Hispanics by about over a year and a half in reading and about the same in math.

Governor Lombardo rightly stated that we all have a responsibility to fix things. The reality is that there is a division between politicians on education in Nevada. Many lawmakers have listened to their constituents and embraced school choice, while others persist in supporting only the status quo.

Having been a school choice advocate for the better part of a decade now, many things have changed. I am even seeing a swell of support for educational freedom and charter schools among Democrats — albeit quietly. Whether because of the pandemic or the rapid decline in education standards, party affiliation should take a backseat to our students’ needs.

Now, there is a clear opportunity to put students first. As an education reformer, a mother, and a Nevadan, I call on our legislature to prioritize our children over politics and be as audacious as our Governor. Leaders in both parties must stop obstructing opportunity for the less fortunate and step up to the challenge to make the American Dream attainable for all students— regardless of ZIP code or economic status. MV

- Valeria Gurr serves as a Senior Fellow for the American Federation for Children. She is a passionate advocate for educational choice, particularly for underserved families, and founded la Federacion Americana Para los Niños. For more information, visit https://www.federationforchildren.org/staff/ valeria-gurr/.