Charter school leaders, parents urge restoration of special-education funding and salary equity

Public comment at the joint meeting focused on proposed K‑12 funding changes that petitioners said would disproportionately reduce special-education and salary funding for independent charter schools. A coalition representative and multiple charter-school leaders, teachers and parents urged the joint committees to work with the governor's office to restore or revise the funding approach adopted by the K‑12 subcommittee.

Speakers said charter schools receive lower per-pupil special-education funding under the option the K‑12 subcommittee adopted the previous day and described operational impacts. Sarah Adler, with Silver State Government Relations, representing a coalition of independent public charter schools in Northern Nevada, told the joint committees that charters are facing a roughly 14.5% cut per special-education pupil and that the difference amounts to about $616 less per special-education pupil in the model she cited. Several speakers described how those cuts translate into lost staff or services at small schools.

Holly Neal, a teacher at the Honors Academy of Literature, described her son’s reliance on speech and occupational therapy and said the proposed funding change would be "truly felt by our kids." Ben Contine, a special-education teacher at the Honors Academy of Literature, said his small school’s special-education per-pupil allocation would fall from $4,250 to $3,634 under the proposed model, which he said would mean nearly $29,000 in cuts for his school. Dr. Kimberly Reagan, executive director of Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School, and other charter leaders said their schools serve high percentages of at-risk students and that the reductions represent a substantial equity concern.

Several speakers also raised the issue of salary equity for charter teachers, noting that charter staff perform the same licensed responsibilities as district teachers and that exclusion from proposed salary funding sends a discouraging message to educators. Ignacio Prado, founder and principal of Futura Academy, urged the committees to adopt a model similar to the previously described "option C" as a fairer alternative and called for cooperation with the executive branch.

Callers from Mariposa Language and Learning Academy and Durell Academy described high proportions of special-education students and the use of general fund dollars by charters to subsidize special education and facility costs. Speakers asked the legislature to ensure that funding supports the statutory obligation to provide a free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities, regardless of school type.

The joint committees accepted public comment and did not take formal action on these appeals during the meeting. Multiple speakers urged follow-up conversations with the governor's office and the K‑12 subcommittee.