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Then-Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Steve Yeager presents Assembly Bill 3 on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020 during the second day of the 32nd Special Session of the Legislature in Carson City. The Democrat is proposing legislation aimed at raising accountability for Nevada schools and provide more funding per student.
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 | 5:36 p.m.
Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager will introduce legislation in the coming days aimed at “mandating accountability and greater transparency,” from school districts across the state, according to a press release.
Citing a nearly $2,000-per-student increase in the state’s education funding formula taking effect over the next two years, Yeager and other Democrats “strongly believe” the increased funding must also come with additional oversight, he stated in a release. The Assembly Speaker said Nevada school districts must account for how the money will increase student achievement and ensure the money is being used “effectively” to address the needs of students, teachers and education support staff.
“We are committed to ensuring that every student in Nevada has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success,” Yeager said in a statement. “However, we also recognize the importance of accountability and transparency in how these funds are spent. Our children and families deserve nothing less than the best possible education, and we will not rest until every school district is delivering on that promise.”
Yeager, along with Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, also a Democrat, also called on the state’s 17 public school superintendents, along with the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, to appear at a joint meeting within the next 30 days to detail their plans for how they will spend these funds.
“I look forward to hearing from our district superintendents to learn more about how they plan to improve student outcomes, retain qualified teachers and staff, and ensure our schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment,” Cannizzaro said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, issued an executive order compelling the state’s 17 public school districts and the public charter school authority to submit external, third-party audits to the Governor’s Finance Office by March 1. After those audits are submitted, the Division of Internal Audits in the Governor’s Finance Office will prepare a report to Lombardo identifying any financial deficiencies and how to remedy those deficiencies, Lombardo’s office said.
In his first State of the State address, Lombardo proposed investing more than $725 million in the state’s education rainy day fund, bringing state spending on education over $2 billion over the next biennium.
That includes $75 million for Millennium Scholarships and $50 for Opportunity Scholarships and related tax credits, which would allow parents to use public dollars on private education, a cornerstone promise Lombardo made on the campaign trail.
