Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Sisolak donates paycheck to low-income schools

Sisolak

Tom R. Smedes / AP

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak delivers his first State of the State Address from the Assembly Chambers of the Nevada Legislature in Carson City, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.

Gov. Steve Sisolak has donated his first-quarter salary to state K-12 schools, fulfilling a pledge he made on the campaign trail.

“I asked the people of Nevada for the chance to lead this state for many reasons, chief among them being the opportunity to improve educational outcomes for every child in every classroom in the state,” Sisolak said in a statement.

“To show my commitment to this goal, the first lady and I are donating my net state salary back to public education,” Sisolak said. “It is my sincere hope that with these donations, I can begin to fulfill my promise to our educators, families and children and make a positive impact on our public schools.”

The governor makes about $149,000 a year. He has pledged to donate his entire salary for his first four years in office toward education.

Sisolak has made education funding one of his signature issues, pushing a 3 percent pay increase for teachers and other education employees in his first State of the State address.

The money Sisolak donated went to the Department of Education’s Education Gift Fund. During Sisolak’s tenure, the department will ensure donations will be split among the state’s 416 Title I schools — $1,000 for each school, with any remaining funds split evenly between all schools.

Title 1 funding is given to schools with a high percentage of low-income students.