Public education in Nevada

in Nevada

Fiscal Budgets Nevada state budget and finances Tax policy in Nevada Finance Financial regulation in Nevada Pensions Public pensions in Nevada Pension health in Nevada Civil liberties Affirmative action in Nevada Campaign finance requirements in Nevada Campaign finance requirements for Nevada ballot measures Nonprofit regulation in Nevada Education Charter schools in Nevada Higher education in Nevada Public education in Nevada School choice in Nevada Elections Ballot access Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Nevada Ballot access requirements for political parties in Nevada Political parties in Nevada Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Nevada Redistricting in Nevada Voting in Nevada Energy and Environment Energy policy in Nevada Fracking in Nevada Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Nevada Endangered species in Nevada Environmental policy in Nevada Healthcare Healthcare policy in Nevada Medicaid spending in Nevada Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Nevada Immigration Immigration in Nevada

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K-12 education in Nevada

Education facts

State superintendent: Jhone Ebert

Number of students: 445,707

Number of teachers: 20,695

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:22

Number of school districts: 18

Number of schools: 664

Graduation rate: 70.7%

Per-pupil spending: $8,339

See also

Nevada Department of Education • List of school districts in Nevada • Nevada • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Nevada Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given are the most recent as of June 2015, with school years noted in the text or footnotes.

The Nevada public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Nevada had 445,707 students enrolled in a total of 664 schools in 18 school districts. There were 20,695 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 22 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 442 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Nevada spent $8,339 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 44th highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 70.7 percent in 2013.^[1][2][3]

Common Core[edit]

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. The Nevada Department of Education adopted these standards on June 22, 2010, and fully implemented them during the 2014-2015 school year.^[4][5]

On April 1, 2015 the Nevada State Assembly held a hearing on a bill that would repeal Common Core standards in the state. According to the Nevada Department of Education, it would have costed the state $110 million to repeal Common Core and go back to the state's former standards at that time. Two days after this hearing, Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt told school districts in the state that it was up to them to determine if students could opt-out of criterion-referenced tests (CRTs). Laxalt said the state law did not make such tests mandatory. Laxalt was asked to interpret the law by Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Dale Erquiaga in order to let school districts know their options.^[6][7]

In July of 2015, Nevada announced an award to the Data Recognition Corporation in the amount of $51.5 million. If approved by the state's board of examiners, this award would secure a contract between the state and the Data Recognition Corporation. The corporation would provide testing services for a state-specific exam, the Nevada Ready Student Assessment System. During the 2014-2015 school year, the state used the Smarter Balanced Assessments, which was also used in several other states.^[8][9]

General information[edit]

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Nevada compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. Nevada had the highest number of teachers relative to students, a ratio of 1:21.5, among its neighboring states.

Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Schools by type[edit]

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Education policy in the U.S.
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Higher education by state
School choice in the U.S.
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State information
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Nevada and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.^[10]

In Nevada, there were 599 regular schools as of 2013. Alternative schools were the second most prevalent type of school in the state, with 52 schools classified as such.

Demographics[edit]

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Nevada as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.^[11]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Nevada, a plurality of students were Hispanic. Hispanic students totaled 178,167, which was about 40 percent of the student population in the state. There were 163,930 white students in the state, which accounted for about 36.8 percent of the student population.

Enrollments by region type[edit]

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.^[12]

A plurality of students in Nevada attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 85.8 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 14.2 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Academic performance[edit]

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to neighboring states, Nevada's scores were about on par with Arizona and California, but lower than those in Utah. The best scores in the state were earned by fourth graders in math, with 34 percent scoring at or above proficient.^[13]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state

See also: ACT and SAT scores in the U.S.

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Nevada and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[13][14][15]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[16]

Nevada schools reported a graduation rate of 70.7 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, the lowest among its neighboring states

In Nevada, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1454.

Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Nevada was higher than the national average at 4.1 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[17]

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: School choice in Nevada

School choice options in Nevada included charter schools, homeschooling, online learning, private schools and voluntary inter-district public school open enrollment.

Developments[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[18]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[19]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Nevada is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures[edit]

See also: Nevada state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[20][21]

Nevada spent approximately 22.3 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from state funds. Nevada spent the second highest as a percentage of its total budget on public education when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenue breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[21]

In Nevada, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding during fiscal year 2013, at $2.6 billion. Nevada reported the lowest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[22]

Public education expenditures in Nevada totaled approximately $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2012. Nevada reported the lowest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries[edit]

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Nevada, the average salary increased by four percent.^[24]

Organizations[edit]

State agencies[edit]

See also: Nevada Department of Education

According to the state's educational goals for 2020, the Nevada Department of Education is in charge of elevating student achievement results, improving the graduation rate, ensuring students are ready for college or careers upon finishing high school, overseeing the effectiveness of teachers and administrators, supporting and expanding programs that have proven to improve learning and increasing productivity.^[25]

Dale Erquiaga was appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction by the governor in August 2013.^[26]

The mission statement of the Nevada Department of Education reads:^[27]

The Nevada State Board of Education sets education policy for the state. It is composed of 11 members, four of whom are elected. The other seven are appointed.^[29]

Unions[edit]

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Nevada ranked 25th overall for union power and influence, or "average," which was in the middle tier of five.^[30]

The main union related to the Nevada school system is the Nevada State Education Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA).

List of local Nevada school unions:^[31]

• Nevada State Education Association
• Clark County Education Association
• Douglas County Professional Education Association
• Ormsby County Education Association
• Elko County Classroom Teacher Association

Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

See also: Nevada government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Nevada Association of School Boards. Each of Nevada's school districts is a member of the organization.^[32]

Transparency[edit]

On January 15, 2009, Governor Jim Gibbons launched Nevada Open Government, a statewide searchable online database for financial data.^[33]

Studies and reports[edit]

Quality Counts 2014[edit]

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Nevada received a score of 65.7, or a D average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 75.4, or a C average. The lowest score was in "school finance" at 64.5, or a D average. Nevada had the lowest score in the "standards, assessments and accountability" category when compared to surrounding states. The chart below displays the scores of Nevada and its surrounding states.^[34]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts[edit]

See also: School board elections portal

District types[edit]

Nevada contains only traditional school districts. One school district operates in each county, and one school district educates students in Carson City in particular.^[35]

School board composition[edit]

Nevada school board members are elected by residents of the school district. Nevada school board elections typically follow one of these three methods, or a mixture thereof:

• At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
• Trustee area: Only voters residing in a specific geographic area within the school district may vote on certain candidates, who must also reside in that specific geographic area.
• Trustee area at-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, but candidates must reside in specific geographic areas within the school district.

School boards can consist of five or seven members. School board members serve four-year terms, which are often staggered every two years.^[36]

Term limits[edit]

Nevada school board members are limited to 12 years in office by state law. Term limits were approved by voters in a 1996 ballot measure, and then upheld in 2008 by the Nevada Supreme Court.^[37]

Elections[edit]

See also: Nevada school board elections, 2021

No Nevada school districts within Ballotpedia's coverage scope are holding school board elections in 2021.

Path to the ballot[edit]

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Nevada, a person must be:

• 18 years of age or older
• A "qualified elector"
• A resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to the candidacy filing deadline

The process of running for office as a school board candidate begins with filing a "declaration of candidacy" form at the local county elections office. Depending on the district, candidates may also be required to pay a filing fee. The filing fee in both Clark County and Washoe County is $30.^[38]

Campaign finance[edit]

Nevada requires all school board candidates to file five campaign finance reports with the Nevada Secretary of State during the election cycle.^[39]

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Nevada state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures[edit]

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Nevada ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Nevada Amendment on Legislative Funding for Public Schools, Question 5 (1954)
2. Nevada Corporate Tax for Education, Question 6 (1990)
3. Nevada Fund Education First, Question 1 (2006)
4. Nevada Investment of Revenue for Educational Purposes, Question 4 (1980)
5. Nevada Margin Tax for Public Schools Initiative, Question 3 (2014)
6. Nevada Office of Public Instruction, Question 4 (1956)
7. Nevada Per Pupil Expenditure, Question 2 (2004)
8. Nevada Public School Financing, Question 3 (1956)
9. Nevada Public School Funding, Question 1 (2004)
10. Nevada Question 1, Remove Constitutional Status of Board of Regents Amendment (2020)
11. Nevada Remove Constitutional Status of Board of Regents Amendment (2024)
12. Nevada Sales Tax Increase for Public Schools Initiative (2022)
13. Nevada Selection of University Board of Regents Amendment, Question 9 (2006)
14. Nevada State Debt Limit School Exemption, Question 7 (2002)
15. Nevada State Lands and Revenue for Educational Purposes, Question 2 (1988)

In the news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nevada education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Historical public education information in Nevada
• Nevada state budget and finances
• Nevada Department of Education
• List of school districts in Nevada
• School choice in Nevada
• Charter schools in Nevada
• Nevada
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links[edit]

• Nevada Department of Education
• Nevada Public School Ratings by PSK12
• Nevada Public School Ratings by Great Schools

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Nevada Carson City (capital)
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