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

Dozens of Nevada educators, support staff and union representatives delivered two-minute public comments to the Interim Finance CommitteeSubcommittee on Education Accountability, urging lawmakers to implement the Commission on School Funding—0-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 eliverables 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.