Henderson, NLV seek approval to sponsor charter schools

The cities of Henderson and North Las Vegas have applied for state approval to sponsor charter schools.

Wilson Ramos, North Las Vegas’ director of community services and engagement, said he is optimistic that the Nevada Department of Education will approve the city’s application. He is excited to see what school operators want to offer for educational rigor and wraparound social services in one of the state’s largest cities.

He calls himself a “solution-ologist” — when he sees problems, he also chooses to see opportunity.

“I stay more solution-oriented than anything else, and going through our state of education locally has really opened up the options of solutions,” he said. “What’s out there, what can we do, what promising practice (can we) put into place so that we can do better?”

The opportunity for city and county governments to sponsor charter schools was codified into law last year as part of Assembly Bill 400, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s education omnibus bill that passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support. Although local governments were never expressly prohibited from sponsoring charter schools — the city of Las Vegas operates the Strong Start Academy downtown — the bill specified municipalities alongside other approved sponsors.

Those include the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, which sponsors most charters statewide; the public university system; and traditional school districts. However, the State Public Charter School Authority is the only sponsor currently accepting applications from school operators.

The Nevada Department of Education must approve all organizations wishing to become sponsors, or authorizers, before they can begin accepting applications from operators. The department confirmed last week that both North Las Vegas and Henderson had recently applied, making them the first municipalities to step forward under the amended law.

Charter schools operate independently, but contracts with sponsors that oversee their compliance with state and federal regulations. Sponsors have limited auditor-like relationships with the schools in their portfolio. They ensure schools follow all state and federal regulations that govern public education — for example, in finance, curriculum, special education services and testing — but do not dictate their programming or operations.

Ramos said city representatives interviewed with state education officials last week, and he looks forward to the city’s first sponsored school opening next year — he said he’s gotten at least 24 inquiries from prospective school operators over the past few months.

He said queries have largely been from established charter school networks that have campuses in nearby states. This is a plus, he said, as they would be able to get up and running quickly if they expand into Nevada.

Ramos knows there are gaps, and he wants the city to have a part in filling them; in the chronic local teacher shortage, for example, North Las Vegas typically wrestles with larger vacancies than those seen in higher-income suburban areas.

In a related move, the city purchased a 20,000-square-foot facility earlier this year that Ramos said it plans to use as both an educationally rigorous child care for the babies and children of local first responders and teachers, and as an incubator for brand-new charter schools just getting off the ground.

Henderson did not make anybody available for an interview on its charter school application. However, city officials have previously shown a keen interest in getting in the game.

At an April 2023 legislative hearing on AB 400, Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero told lawmakers that the city has overcrowded schools, and more schools are needed.

“With abysmal student test scores and growing demand for school choice, Nevada needs multiple chartering authorities. We know this will result in more and higher-quality charter offerings,” she said.

In November, the Henderson City Council unanimously agreed to apply for sponsorship.

“Henderson residents consistently rank education as one of the most important issues in our community, as families want high-quality educational opportunities for their children and businesses want a system that prepares students to enter higher education and the workforce,” the council’s resolution read. “The city is well-positioned to step into this role as well because it can work in close collaboration with the Henderson community in the identification and oversight of charter schools that will best meet the needs of this community and offer choices to students and families.”

The state application for prospective sponsors is both philosophical (How would their mission be furthered by sponsoring schools?) and practical (How many full-time city staff and how much funding is available to support the initiative?)

“Quality sponsorship requires specialized knowledge, skills, commitment and adherence to essential professional standards to effectively deliver quality educational opportunities for students and communities and achieve the purposes of Nevada’s charter school law,” the application form reads. “The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) commends those who explore this opportunity and apply to become approved charter sponsors. The amount of self-reflection, visioning and strategic planning required to complete the application process and prepare to take on additional responsibilities demonstrates a true commitment to high-quality charter schools and improved outcomes for students.”

The newly updated charter school law says that local governments’ school portfolios can only combine to take in 7% of their jurisdiction’s overall pupil enrollment. For North Las Vegas, that’s about 3,000 to 3,500 children, Ramos said. But he said that gives the city the chance to move slowly and purposefully for maximum impact in what he estimated could be five or six relatively small schools.

“We’re looking for innovation, we’re looking for promising or best practices that have already been showcased,” he said.

“It’s just been a long time coming,” he added. “As you look at the state of education, you identify so many gaps, you really start to look at opportunities more so than anything.”

 

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