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Nevada receives an 'F' on funding education, report shows

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Posted at 3:54 PM, Dec 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-15 15:23:59-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Education Law Center's annual "Making the Grade" report shows that Nevada was the only state in the nation to receive an "F" in the categories of Funding Level, Funding Distribution and Funding Effort.

According to officials who sent the report, Nevada students continue to be among the worst-funded in the nation as of Dec. 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.

Officials say the report ranks and grades each state on three measures to answer the key question: "How fair is school funding in your state?" Additionally, Nevada, which had already been ranking towards the bottom, decreased funding compared to 2008, after adjusting for inflation.

“‘We’ve been hearing for years that Nevada wants to change course in supporting its students but we’ve continued to hover at the bottom in funding. This translates into our students having the largest class sizes in the country, limited resources and lack of opportunities,” said Amanda Morgan, executive director of Educate Nevada Now. “Success takes commitment and meaningful investment, and we clearly have not done that for our students.”

According to Making the Grade, Nevada ranks 47th in per-pupil funding and funds its students $4,370 per pupil. This is reported to be less than the national average.

Nevada also received an “F” and ranked 44th when it came to "funding effort" which reflects both state and local funding as a percentage of GDP at the state level.

“Seeing us toward the bottom in funding effort is the most disheartening aspect of this report, as it shows how indifferent and uncommitted Nevada is towards the education of its students. We don’t value them despite having the financial capacity to do more. We can and we must do more” added Morgan.

The report also highlighted the looming fiscal cliff that is to come as pandemic relief funding expires, cautioning that states will need to increase their levels of support or be “forced to cut essential staff, programs and services for students.” Additionally, the progressive distribution of federal funding means high-poverty schools that received the most aid will have the most to lose when those funds run out.

“Luckily, we are about to enter a new legislative session in Nevada, and we are going in with a potential budget surplus,” said Morgan. “We urge legislators to prioritize our students’ needs.”

Highlights provided from the report include: 

  • Nevada was the only state in the nation to receive an “F” in all three categories: Funding Level, Funding Distribution and Funding Effort. 
  • Nevada ranks 47th in per-pupil funding and funds its students $4,370 per pupil less than the national average.
  • When adjusting for inflation, Nevada was one of the bottom ten states in funding K-12 schools since the 2008 recession. 
  • Nevada ranks at the bottom in funding distribution as the most regressive model with a 27% difference between how it funds its low-poverty districts and high-poverty districts. 

CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara issued the following statement on Thursday:

Nevada’s superintendents remain unified in their continued advocacy for Nevada’s students as indicated in iNVest, and urge state leaders and legislators to optimally fund education for Nevada’s children. The Commission on School Funding, created through legislative action, identified the abysmal funding levels currently allocated for education across the state and once again declared it woefully inadequate.

Every measure by every organization, including the Education Law Center, reaches the same conclusion: Nevada funds education at the bottom of the 50 states, and the education budget is the lowest percentage of Nevada’s statewide budget in history. As Nevada’s leaders and families expect better academic outcomes for their children, funding must be optimal and in line with expectations. Breaking up districts or continuing to underpay educators are not strategies for success, and as a result, Nevada’s children bear the brunt of inadequate funding.