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State education officials seek $8.5M PDG allocation; lawmakers press for rural seat counts
Summary
The Nevada Department of Education asked the IFC to approve an $8.5 million amendment to its Preschool Development Grant (PDG) award focused on capacity building; lawmakers asked for metrics showing how many children and rural communities have been reached.
The Interim Finance Committee approved a request to amend the state's Preschool Development Grant award by $8.5 million to spend capacity‑building dollars before the grant expires in December.
Deputy Superintendent Megan Peterson said the PDG funds are intended to build pre‑K capacity — workforce development, best practices and transitions between pre‑K and kindergarten — not primarily to create state‑funded slots. Michael Mitchell of the Office of Early Learning and Development told legislators the program supports training, system improvements and a small number of family child‑care seats; state‑funded seats come from Nevada Ready Pre‑K (NRPK) appropriations.
Senator Dina Titus and others pressed for a clearer impact count. Committee members asked how many children and rural communities have benefited from roughly $30 million the state has received for pre‑K and early learning since 2017. Mitchell said the state leveraged an estimated $50 million of federal E‑Rate funds over several years to connect schools and libraries to fiber, and that the PDG impact report will include child‑level numbers at closeout; staff agreed to provide an impact report with counts of seats and gaps in capacity for children under age 5.
Why it matters: committee members from rural districts repeatedly asked for concrete figures on seats delivered and capacity shortfalls. The committee approved the amendment by voice and recorded its request that the department provide an impact report showing how many children and which rural areas have been reached and what remaining needs exist.
