[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6608127,"mediaKeyId","2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa","parentId",2941165,"title","Washoe, Carson City and Clark districts report gains from new funding but warn of shortfalls and federal uncertainty","audioSeconds",3338,"startMs",5186000,"endMs",8524000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa&start=5186&end=8524","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa/thumbnail_5186000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6608127/Nevada/Washoe-Carson-City-and-Clark-districts-report-gains-from-new-funding-but-warn-of-shortfalls-and-federal-uncertainty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608127-7b2d2974c652ed244bfa70d0755ce398/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127140&Signature=OHwwK9lrNzKcjtbkg5zTC~NOrwKedZON5H68nOOZlxR9vrqpNJK5IMHq8KV1emhYjLP6NuqY1MTbMWj9ROcKO6eZlE5ou1N3K-pl8NZBf-Gv9rCGJVrce0QdJBtxTpT2cdQeaFXIouiIy6iA-yMWNKVfOsBXvjPS-fFwAQq9LCWdAGqGt4wroR2vTCCfO6bgoMFv3xRmUGZj2V8nNjqQ1QP~QchR6c-7U4iIUZZ~04XuO9aYI73XR7ynpnFU63EYY8qBChu016q1kSqPEcs8wanSlkblmgo89OliHeceLg-eZRinwn5eZlZTVYCVOjepyfL~cvZcce57ndniqnRJEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada Legislature","date","2025-04-10T04:58:15.787Z","article","Leaders from Nevada's largest school districts presented how they have used the legislature's recent funding increases and raised concerns about coming budget pressures, federal grant uncertainty and the volatility of at‑risk funding formulas.

Washoe County School District Superintendent Joe Ernst and CFO Mark Mathers said the district used roughly $100 million in additional base per-pupil funding last fiscal year and about $16 million in the current fiscal year to preserve positions, increase compensation and invest in interventions, early childhood and support for high‑need schools. Ernst said the district targeted resources to the 18 lowest-performing schools (the \"comprehensive school collaborative\") with instructional coaches, long‑term substitutes and kindergarten supports; he presented winter assessment improvements in reading and math at participating campuses.

But Mathers warned of fiscal strain next biennium if base per‑pupil funding does not rise: Washoe entered its FY26 budget process with an estimated $9.7 million deficit before mitigation steps, he said. Mathers and Ernst also said at‑risk funding calculations have produced volatile allocations since the state changed metrics (from direct certification and free-and‑reduced lunch measures to a grad-score model), which shrank the number of students counted as at‑risk in some districts and complicated multi‑year staffing decisions.

Carson City Superintendent A.J. Fueling described similar patterns in a smaller district: recent compensation raises materially improved recruitment and retention and lowered vacancy rates (district-wide vacant benefited positions declined from about 7% in 2023 to roughly 2.7% the most recent October), but the district still faces high costs for intensive behavioral supports. Fueling noted Carson City has about 13.92% of enrollments classified as receiving special-education services and described a district-funded elementary behavior program (nine intensive students) that costs about $500,000 annually.

Clark County Interim Superintendent Brenda Larson Mitchell, CFO Diane Bartholomew and Chief Academic Officer Dustin Mansell reported Clark County used SB231 and other funding to increase compensation, add targeted pay for hard-to-fill positions and expand supports. Clark said it had significantly increased hires this year: the district reported hiring about 2,703 licensed professionals and 2,339 support professionals this school year compared with lower figures previously; its projected vacancies for next year were roughly 394 licensed and 328 support positions. Clark officials also described a large carryforward balance that rose during the pandemic as ESSER spending and noted they do not expect the recent carryforward trend to continue once relief funds lapse and schools spend previously accumulated balances.

All three districts told the subcommittee they remain concerned about federal funding uncertainty: short notice or changes in liquidation periods for federal grants can force districts to reassign or rescind planned contracts and programs. Members of the subcommittee asked for additional data on at‑risk funding counts, carryforward balances and how districts would adjust if federal supports decline.

Ending: District leaders said recent state investments have improved teacher retention and student supports, but they urged lawmakers to consider stable revenue and fixes to at‑risk allocation methods to avoid abrupt cuts in coming years.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4/9/2025 - Subcommittee on Education Accountability","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendents and finance chiefs from Washoe, Carson City and Clark County told the subcommittee they used recent state funding increases to raise pay, preserve staff and expand services, but they reported projected deficits, at-risk funding volatility and federal grant uncertainty that could force cuts.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6608132,"Commission on School Funding presents 10-year target; recommends sales-tax base expansion and property-tax reforms",2076,2784000,4860000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa&start=2784&end=4860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa/thumbnail_2784000.jpg","/articles/6608132/Nevada/Commission-on-School-Funding-presents-10-year-target-recommends-sales-tax-base-expansion-and-property-tax-reforms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608132-3a0c841e4fac4e4c369bcb175eec80d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127140&Signature=hVsekzIHwzEvtiKpfuEibort3qLUiELy-ZqGzMq6R1bp72S0c5uq~KotPXK~mEVenBcEG2GacG3dQ06gOE7XBrX-Rr2ZKIZkrjOv5xY6VCinuSIIlKQsarTPutIg4rSGlutPBIhYmJna8F~uzr1O3ZqKpf001OQK14ltZJmRLLnjf3axF9ZJrrEqLvHmnEghUVxgrBEduXQ6-UNLgJaiQ0pNCqwl17E7hG1mgp3UBTFceccc09NE7i-bIx5dH-vFXR6A-cdGnQnIrvZu3wHfzi4N0NlqMNxDw7ujTWFO1F84eLt3TIEADtaODuAwD-waPLpid329mAW1MKFB0WCjdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Guy Hobbs, chair of Nevada's Commission on School Funding, presented the commission's findings to the Interim Finance Committee\u0000Subcommittee on Education Accountability, explaining the group's methodology for identifying an \"optimal\" funding target and the revenue options that could be used to reach it over a 10-year period.

The commission used the national average per-pupil figure as a proxy for \"optimal\" funding after verifying that independent subject-matter estimates closely matched that national number. Hobbs reported that the legislature's most recent per-pupil figure stood near $13,400, while the national average and an independent consultant's recommendation were both near $17,500
nd $17,600 respectively, producing a substantial multi-year shortfall. On a linear model the commission estimated incremental additional funding needs that would cumulatively total roughly $2.5 billion by year 10.

Revenue options: The presentation enumerated two broad fiscal paths that together could move the state toward the target: modernization of Nevada's sales/transaction-excise tax base and reforms to property-tax mechanics. On the sales side, Hobbs emphasized that Nevada currently taxes mostly tangible goods and that services now make up a majority of economic activity. The commission modeled adding portions of services (telecommunications, recreation, personal care, for example) to a transaction excise tax. Hobbs said that applying a transaction excise tax to an additional $13.3 billion in taxable trade at an illustrative rate would generate substantial state revenue; at a full 6.85% rate the commission's slide showed roughly $911 million per year from the expansion scenario.

On the property-tax side the commission highlighted that abatements and the depreciation method in Nevada materially reduce taxable values. Hobbs said statewide abated property tax totaled about $1.7 billion and that eliminating or phasing out abatements could raise several hundred million dollars per year, though he acknowledged political sensitivity and the mitigating impact of statutory rate caps. He also discussed possible changes to the assessment rate (currently 35%) and to how depreciation or market-value measures are used.

Hobbs repeatedly cautioned that changes to Nevada's fiscal architecture would be complex and constitutionally constrained; for example, he said 11 of the state's 17 counties are already at a combined statutory ad valorem cap described in state law at $3.66 per $100 of assessed valuation, which limits immediate property-rate increases in many counties. He recommended further deliberation and incremental approaches such as phasing and indexing to reduce abrupt impacts.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the county cap, the share of property-tax revenue that goes to schools, and the commission's sales-tax modeling. Assemblymember Monroe Moreno asked whether the property-tax examples assumed all 17 counties could raise an incremental penny in the same way; Hobbs replied those slides were illustrative and noted the statutory cap and abatements can materially change outcomes.

Ending: The commission left the committee with a written report and slides for later consideration. Hobbs and staff said additional analysis and public conversation would be required before lawmakers could select specific revenue changes to implement.","The Commission on School Funding told Nevada lawmakers it used the national per-pupil average as a proxy \"optimal\" target and outlined revenue options to close a roughly $2.5 billion gap over 10 years, including expanding the sales/transaction excise tax base to services and phasing out certain property-tax abatements.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6608137,"Nevada educators tell subcommittee current funding falls short; urge adoption of Commission—or School Funding plan",2545,125000,2670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa&start=125&end=2670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941165-50d441f0cd5b19384044eb92c52d56fa/thumbnail_125000.jpg","/articles/6608137/Nevada/Nevada-educators-tell-subcommittee-current-funding-falls-short-urge-adoption-of-Commissionor-School-Funding-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608137-0ae08f42972b3e01fbd637f2fe5d90d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771127140&Signature=gv4ncnSfcHQONb5AoyRJ8XttTs4sav~SshB2~i8hW5diXXZxRE5GTuak7z3-Bitu~uRvxvgpSON6d3ddNAP1fo42pkkfvAiTtNgpZQnE1zbOpcFLvocii1yroQG8DUQXdhCfo9NoYWpQEqAcHAO-A8a~pfWQWXMER4~B~u919CevSVmfiM1oIRUdisjOEWN28QncX8e05bVof7I7n4s8-o59aGlCnDX4xXtcf74QVzteBKnsWNe~txhMWlD~dKVqEpiBOxM~L76lCJzyrcNHsQkXTTXp7zB9KuUVCYymQN31wgWPO25FnY6QDoRRMMbFUsICz7hpOit~59g~3jYrmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Nevada educators, support staff and union representatives delivered two-minute public comments to the Interim Finance Committee\u0000Subcommittee on Education Accountability, urging lawmakers to implement the Commission on School Funding\u00010-year plan and warning that proposed state funding increases fall far short of needs.

The speakers, who addressed the subcommittee from Carson City, Las Vegas and by phone, described growing classroom sizes, prolonged teacher vacancies, and the loss of programs that support multilingual learners, students with disabilities and children experiencing trauma. \"If a child is struggling, the parents need to find and pay for these additional services,\" said Susan Kiser, a national board-certified teacher who described hiring private tutors for her child after local schools lacked specialists. \"Every child should be able to succeed at school.\"

Why it matters: Presenters repeatedly cited the Commission's finding that Nevada remains well below the national average in per-pupil funding, a shortfall many speakers quantified as about $4,000 per student. Several said districts are already planning cuts — naming positions, reading centers or programs under review — and that federal supports such as Title I face uncertainty. \"$2 doesn't cover increasing costs or the 3.25% PERS increase,\" Alexander Marks of the Nevada State Education Association told the subcommittee. \"Districts across the state have begun to deliberate budget cuts.\"

Commenters offered classroom examples and personal testimony to show how funding gaps ripple into students' daily experiences. Brent Buzzboom, a veteran teacher at Reno High School, described being forced to advise students and staff while classes grew: \"When I started teaching at Reno High, we had 1,600 students and 17 English teachers. Today, we have 1,800 students and 11 teachers trying to do the work of 17.\" Several special-education and early-childhood teachers described classrooms with medically complex students and insufficient aides or substitutes; one Las Vegas teacher said a school-approved extra paraprofessional position was later cut.

Multiple union leaders and local district staff also urged state-level changes. Carrie Finn, president of the Carson Educational Support Association and a member of the state's Teacher and ESP Recruitment and Retention Task Force, said the Commission on School Funding\reliverables provide a \"data-driven, research-backed strategy\" for reaching optimal funding over 10 years and urged lawmakers to act rather than divert public dollars to private vouchers.

Public comments also noted immediate practical impacts: canceled electives, razor-thin budgets for vocational classes, and teachers covering additional classes to compensate for vacancies. Speakers urged that the legislature adopt the Commission's recommendations to expand stable state revenue and preserve gains made in the prior biennium.

The subcommittee heard the comments before moving on to a scheduled presentation by the Commission on School Funding and later presentations from Washoe County, Carson City and Clark County school districts.

Ending: The subcommittee did not take action during the public-comment period. The Commission on School Funding presented its report later in the meeting and district officials followed with detailed budget and staffing updates; legislators asked follow-up questions during those presentations.","More than two dozen teachers and school staff told the Interim Finance Committee\u0000Subcommittee on Education Accountability that the governor\nnd Legislature must adopt the Commission on School Funding\u00010-year plan and increase per-pupil funding beyond the proposed $2 increase, warning staffing shortages and program cuts are already harming students.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Washoe, Carson City and Clark districts report gains from new funding but warn of shortfalls and federal uncertainty

Commission on School Funding presents 10-year target; recommends sales-tax base expansion and property-tax reforms

Nevada educators tell subcommittee current funding falls short; urge adoption of Commission—or School Funding plan