[{"_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",6467339,"mediaKeyId","5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35","parentId",5799264,"title","Nevada Department of Education outlines post‑session funding changes, staffing additions and cyberattack impact","audioSeconds",3012,"startMs",2243000,"endMs",5255000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35&start=2243&end=5255","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35/thumbnail_2243000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6467339/Nevada/Nevada-Department-of-Education-outlines-postsession-funding-changes-staffing-additions-and-cyberattack-impact","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467339-158d04a507b01388c610a336787e040b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529524&Signature=LJg6ykr3dwTOXygRRxKVebEOYvowQg1exDmirNTczRWwkdPVSiZ5ywvwkXzNE2UvNq3AvupYmEAvzwQ8qMnYJkGGvMGbjln6PQkCIXau81hEAK5v--XNq2KIUC-Osp0jrGUMoZUAH3NV5xkHlsny1E-6gtYP8VDPYP1UcZPuxVsKmjjdKwUDHiJ9rX900d5ExIbBvlOY2~M5JUozutwDGe83zX~ay-wPMPv6fXxVWLlKLN9TM8TFZfZxZdngXvI5rH85QXV8vJMzuNuOUZgs4jZyr2NOHKbpAai59ToeRf0FsstHiLsfAesXp4Xyc~IA1PLQ8AluXty8htNCOif7sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada Department of Education","date","2025-09-20T08:00:01Z","article","The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) reported to the Commission on School Funding on legislative changes, staff additions and cash‑flow moves that will shape how the state pays districts under the pupil‑centered funding plan.

Deputy Superintendent Megan Peterson said the department secured eight of 17 requested positions to support the people‑centered funding work and related operations, and that the department will soon post recruitments it had to delay while systems were locked during a cybersecurity incident. \"We submitted 17. We were approved for 8,\" Peterson said. \"We were awarded a budget analyst to support our people centered funding plan team. They will help with revenue projections, processing the monthly payments, modeling scenarios for the commission.\"

Why it matters: the additional positions are intended to speed modeling and monthly payment processing, a shortcoming NDE identified during the most recent budget cycle. The department also described a one‑time transfer from the education stabilization account this fiscal year to preserve a modest per‑pupil increase approved by the legislature.

Key changes and implementation notes

- Staffing: Peterson said NDE will add a budget analyst and two auditors for pupil enrollment and attendance audits; administrative positions were also authorized and are in recruitment. Melissa Willis, the state education funding manager who presented model details later in the meeting, said several hires are in classification and HR queues and expected to post soon.

- Cybersecurity: Peterson described a ransomware event that caused NDE to lock systems temporarily. \"As part of the mitigation efforts, all systems were locked down to prevent any spread or removal of additional information,\" she said. The department said the attack did not appear to have compromised files but did delay access to systems used for year‑end reconciliation and payment processing.

- Stabilization account and transfers: Peterson and Willis explained the legislature approved a transfer from the education stabilization account to hold up the statewide per‑pupil amount for fiscal year 2026. Peterson said the transfer preserved a modest increase; Willis described closing a temporary account and returning roughly $31 million to the stabilization fund, reducing the net permanent transfer to about $95 million. Peterson warned that NDE routinely borrows for cash flow and that the timing of revenue receipts and monthly payouts requires careful near‑term management.

- Reporting and statutory changes: NDE said SB 81 removed a duplicate ‘‘minimum expenditure’’ report and that publication requirements moved from printed newspapers to websites to reduce district costs. The department also said multiple bills changed class‑size reporting frequency and that the details are still being reconciled with legislative counsel.

- Compensation and categorical grants: Peterson said legislation made the school employee pay raises a formulaic, monthly categorical payment for districts and provided $38 million for charter school raises one biennium behind. She noted the commission will review how those categorical funds should be incorporated into the funding model in future work.

- Capital funds and small counties: Peterson said AB 224 created a new capital program and included a $100 million appropriation for districts in counties with fewer than 15,000 people; NDE will publish application details once program rules are finalized.

- Special education adjustments: Willis described a new targeted reallocation in the state special education account (category 22) that adds $5 million in FY26 and $10 million in FY27 to bring several local per‑pupil special education weights closer to the statewide average. She said four large LEAs (including Clark) had been below the statewide weight and will see increases under the reallocation.

What NDE will deliver next

Peterson said NDE will circulate written materials and the department’s implementation plan for the session’s education bills. She asked commissioners to expect revised slide decks and follow‑up briefings as systems come fully back online; Willis said the office will post the handout and associated tables showing how each commission recommendation aligned with bills passed this session.

Quotes from meeting participants

\"We submitted 17. We were approved for 8,\" Megan Peterson, deputy superintendent, said of NDE's staffing requests.

\"We can now more timely and effectively model what the recommendations are so we can see what those impacts are before we make those final recommendations,\" Peterson said, describing the expected effect of an added budget analyst.

Context and next steps

NDE said it will continue to provide the commission with modeling updates, will post job recruitments for the new positions, and will present data and draft rules needed for commission workstreams in upcoming meetings. The department plans to share its performance addendum and the at‑risk metrics analysis ahead of the commission’s next meeting so commissioners can review the materials in advance.

Ending note

Commissioners thanked NDE staff for their work and patience during the systems outage and emphasized that modeling speed and cash‑flow clarity are priorities for the commission’s next interim work.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Commission on School Funding - Friday, September 13, 2024, at 9:00AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) reported to the Commission on School Funding on legislative changes, staff additions and cash‑flow moves that will shape how the state pays districts under the pupil‑centered funding plan.","taxTitle","Department of Education, Executive Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Nevada","taxId",24318,"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},6467329,"Commission on School Funding adopts rules of engagement, appoints vice chair and creates working‑group agenda",353,1743000,2096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35&start=1743&end=2096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35/thumbnail_1743000.jpg","/articles/6467329/Nevada/Commission-on-School-Funding-adopts-rules-of-engagement-appoints-vice-chair-and-creates-workinggroup-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467329-cc8597d1887f3412439422044db9aebe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529524&Signature=RdI5BcogCqbyUlQPX0IJE9BSUBASJmkwBajFKiFOiAzsowjX90tj0s~uDZdQXdbnTiYQlU-x2zyJD1zq8pIyjGuA6iVIiLOUGS1QPJC7wKbL0J06u-d6ZZEGPrKjsgiVBoASDa0BygQs98mIqXcxjxYH7MZoKX6WUsHFdE2Kj9zln7u6woCR9-zL2mzHedlRTwAh23zAZxgWfaFlPd6ArxE8K1b83dRMBNJ63K1p-OvjesEDXwLYbjmuss~-DElAZR7WRLz~0vTVPA8FgW2BdGKV4IlHsVrEpKxaqMUg71KPpdpJZhS9vjK3BUsk4pHJmdNOU6SkxilVPjtkB0Cs3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commission on School Funding used its first interim meeting to complete administrative business, formalize operating rules and set a working plan of topics that commissioners will review this year.

Minutes and rules of engagement

Commissioners approved the meeting minutes and voted to re‑adopt the commission's rules of engagement. The adoption was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the minutes.

Vice chair appointment and student observer

Poonam Mathur moved to nominate Joyce Woodhouse as vice chair; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Chair Guy Hobbs also introduced a student observer, Aniruth (\"Ani\") Poligani, a Clark High School student who asked to shadow commission work and was welcomed to participate in working groups as a nonvoting observer. \"We'd love to have you participate,\" Hobbs said when inviting the student to introduce himself.

Working groups and priorities

The commission presented a matrix of 26 items — ranging from revisiting the at‑risk definition to evaluating stacking of weights, transportation and food‑service allocation methods, special‑education contingency funds, enrollment trend analysis, and the mechanics of counts used for weighted funding. The matrix included tentative leads for each working group and identified some items that can be completed quickly versus others that will require multi‑meeting work and external subject‑matter support.

Chair Hobbs and staff emphasized that working groups are coordinators of analysis and cannot make formal policy recommendations without commission approval. The chair said the commission will use working groups to let small teams research and draft proposals, then return recommendations to the full commission for deliberation and any formal vote.

Why it matters

Commissioners said a working‑group approach lets the body cover technical topics in parallel while ensuring transparency — all results must be returned to the full commission for action. Several commissioners asked staff to mark which items could be resolved quickly so members can close those tasks early and redeploy volunteer time to longer‑term issues.

Ending note

NDE staff will follow up by scheduling the first round of working‑group meetings, circulating the written WestEd addendum and the at‑risk study in advance of the next meeting, and publishing a meeting calendar for the interim.","The commission approved the minutes, re‑adopted its rules of engagement, appointed Joyce Woodhouse as vice chair and outlined 26 policy 'pillars' with tentative working‑group leads to review the pupil‑centered funding plan and related tasks over the next interim.",{"_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},6467335,"Commission to review ‘at‑risk’ definition after state board moves to test alternate metrics",223,10844000,11067000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35&start=10844&end=11067","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5799264-67944428edfcf03c0b686633bd3b0d35/thumbnail_10844000.jpg","/articles/6467335/Nevada/Commission-to-review-atrisk-definition-after-state-board-moves-to-test-alternate-metrics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467335-c10b9e1983e460fcecd307c1c5b9e015/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529524&Signature=ObnuuCLlTOHdr7j88ipO4OzgKiKGinIHr2lqdz8GoUDXqdnZE4JP2LZqu51lpGV7v~jYB0xZ6l1OUC7nu1tUGh9ctfN~YvCc5R-N~5Z8~hsr~YOjx3BKJOeIVG4m-OzlTRelNGC8kcp6Sg6pNNjR6xIX2t5KZNYOsEkE-MFiliWWeJfga4Ufo71FohbnH1TbZp8MYDySWQa6FEzHwhI7LdbzTF5~7yq~v8am-usDeX8WdMHsXpydx8CoFU93P4WiH7-pflGnE51NaP8TEAHOvGU~v2GrQVZw2hheqFQS~fZeYPn9UXndcav9dQzJ-ats-0MVo5bAXxbL9P7E5Voa8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commission on School Funding heard an update on an ongoing review of how Nevada identifies students ‘‘most in need of additional services’’ (the at‑risk category under the pupil‑centered funding plan).

NDE staff explained that the state moved away from using free‑and‑reduced‑price‑lunch (FRL) as a proxy for at‑risk status because FRL was too broad and produced a count that exceeded the targeted population for the state’s limited at‑risk funding. Peterson said the department initially used the ‘‘grad score’’ (a composite derived from the state student information system) to create a narrower count but that the State Board of Education has formed a work group to consider alternative or additional metrics.

What the state is testing

Megan Peterson told commissioners the state board’s subcommittee is examining several indicators — including direct certification (direct cert), homelessness and foster status, grade‑band assessment performance, and chronic absenteeism — and will consider narrower or combined metrics in an attempt to identify the students who most need targeted supports. She said initial pulls using a short list of metrics yielded a much smaller pool (about 45,000 students for the 2023–24 school year) than the FRL count (roughly 247,000 for the same year). \"When we looked at those numbers initially, the count of students who qualified was about 45,000,\" Peterson said.

Timing and next steps

NDE said it will present updated multi‑year pulls to the State Board subcommittee at an October meeting to test stability and mobility across school years, then share the results with the commission. The department also plans to provide WestEd’s written report and an updated performance addendum to the commission in the week before the next meeting so commissioners can review outside analysis in advance.

Why it matters

How the state defines at‑risk students determines who receives the additional weighted funding embedded in the pupil‑centered funding plan. A broader definition (like FRL) reaches many more students but dilutes the funding available per eligible child; a narrower or different metrics list may preserve funding for students most on risk of falling behind, but it may also exclude students who need supports but do not meet narrow thresholds.

Commission comments and context

Commissioners emphasized that any chosen metric set should be predictably applied across grade bands and should be usable by districts to target interventions. Several commissioners asked that, as the State Board refines metrics, the commission examine how identified students are served and whether funding can be structured to sustain interventions that show results.

Ending note

NDE will circulate the WestEd report and the at‑risk multi‑year data in advance of the commission’s next meeting so commissioners can evaluate alternative metrics before recommending statutory or model changes.","The State Board of Education and the Department of Education are testing alternatives to free‑and‑reduced‑price‑lunch and the previously used ‘grad score’ to identify students eligible for at‑risk weighting in the pupil‑centered funding plan; the department will share WestEd analysis and related data at future meetings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nevada Department of Education outlines post‑session funding changes, staffing additions and cyberattack impact

Commission on School Funding adopts rules of engagement, appoints vice chair and creates working‑group agenda

Commission to review ‘at‑risk’ definition after state board moves to test alternate metrics