Legislative subcommittee trims Nevada Department of Education budget, approves one classified administrative services position

A Nevada legislative joint subcommittee on finance approved closing recommendations for the Department of Education that reduce several of the governor's budget requests and fund one classified administrative services officer position.

The subcommittee voted to approve option B — funding one classified Administrative Services Officer position with an annual maximum salary of $144,511 — a motion moved by Assemblymember Monroe Moreno and seconded by Senator Wynne. The motion carried on a voice vote. The vote was part of a package of closing recommendations on the department's 2025–27 biennium budget.

The panel also reduced the governor's proposed early childhood literacy and readiness funding. Instead of the governor's $70 million in each year of the 2025–27 biennium for prekindergarten seats and literacy programs, the subcommittee recommended appropriations of $29,300,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $47,000,000 in fiscal year 2027, using the department's seat projections and the existing per-seat rate of $8,410. The subcommittee recommended that this funding be appropriated to the Office of Early Learning and Development and included through the 2025 Appropriations Act with intent for ongoing funding.

Members also approved other staffing and technical adjustments reported by fiscal staff: approval of two auditor positions (instead of three) for pupil enrollment audits funded by $374,631 in general fund appropriations over the biennium; approval of one new management analyst to assist with contract management funded from reserve reductions ($191,153); and approval of one education program supervisor and one program officer to support curriculum and licensing activities ($19,523 and $195,956 respectively over the biennium). The subcommittee did not recommend approval of the governor's request for two new personnel technician positions and deferred the recommendation on one unclassified deputy administrator position to the joint full money committee.

The subcommittee approved a staff motion directing the Department of Education to utilize private school license and fee revenue for all purposes within the account for alternative schools prior to expending general fund appropriations. That motion was moved by Assemblymember Monroe Moreno, seconded by Senator Wynne, and carried on a voice vote.

Fiscal staff noted several federal grant reductions and expirations affecting the department's recommendations. The subcommittee did not authorize certain federal ESSER, ARP or preschool development grant funds for FY26–27 because of an updated U.S. Department of Education liquidation-extension deadline; the department may need to submit separate work programs if federal liquidation extensions are reapproved on a project-specific basis.

The subcommittee approved the other technical and closing adjustments recommended by fiscal staff and authorized staff to make additional technical adjustments as necessary. The committee approved the closing package by voice vote on a subsequent omnibus motion, moved by Assemblymember Monroe Moreno and seconded by Senator Wynne.

The decisions record the subcommittee's narrowing of several governor-proposed additions and a directional preference to consolidate pre-K funding under the Office of Early Learning and Development. Final decisions on unclassified salaries and any deferred items were left to the full money committees or the 2025 pay bill process.