Current:Home > FinanceSchool choice debate not over as Nevada’s governor has a plan to fund private school scholarships-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
School choice debate not over as Nevada’s governor has a plan to fund private school scholarships
View Date:2024-12-23 22:34:59
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has what he calls a short-term plan to shore up a private school scholarship program, after Democratic legislators this week rejected a proposal that involved using unallocated federal money.
The Republican governor announced late Friday that the AAA Scholarship Foundation — a private scholarship organization at the center of Nevada’s school choice debate — has volunteered to use reserve funds to ensure that no students who qualify under state law lose access to scholarships this year. He said he was grateful to the organization.
“However, unless legislative Democrats work with us on a long-term solution, children will be forced out of their schools and back into the very schools that failed to meet their unique educational needs,” he said.
The state’s Interim Finance Committee voted along party lines Wednesday, with Democrats opposing the governor’s previous proposal to use $3.2 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to maintain existing scholarships. The decision at the close of a marathon 12-hour hearing was another setback in Lombardo’s efforts to make school choice a priority in the state’s increasingly rare split-party government.
School choice generally refers to taxpayer-funded programs that pay for or expand access to other educational options including private or charter schools, home-schooling or hybrid models, though it can take many forms.
The debate over it has amplified divisions between Nevada’s relatively moderate Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled Legislature — echoing similar discord in statehouses around the country.
Nevada ranks toward the bottom of national rankings in per-pupil funding. Urban and rural schools face teacher shortages, underfunding, aging infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms. Most teacher unions and Democrats oppose school choice.
Proponents of school choice say it gives students more options, especially for those who don’t benefit from traditional public schools. Democratic lawmakers contend that using public funds for private schools will gut already resource-strapped public schools.
Lombardo originally wanted to expand eligibility and provide an additional $50 million for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2015. The program allows businesses to receive tax credits on donations that go toward the private and religious school tuitions of mostly low-income students.
To get a scholarship for the upcoming school year, the governor’s office said eligible parents have to apply to the AAA Scholarship Foundation directly. The deadline is Sept. 11.
Leading Democratic legislators have argued that reserve funding within the Opportunity Scholarship program should be adequate to cover all currently enrolled students. They described the program as broken, noting that one scholarship-granting organization out of six obtained an outsized share of funding on a first-served basis.
veryGood! (455)
Related
- More than 150 pronghorns hit, killed on Colorado roads as animals sought shelter from snow
- What is Title 8, and what has changed along the U.S.-Mexico border after Title 42's expiration?
- Wizards of Waverly Place Showrunner Confirms Theories About Alex Russo’s Sexuality
- German police investigate suspected poisoning of Russian exiles: Intense pain and strange symptoms
- Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?
- You Returning for a Fifth and Final Season as Joe Goldberg's Killer Story Comes to an End
- Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik Are Raising Eyebrows After Their Rumored Outing
- Tonga volcano eruption put holes in the atmosphere, sent plasma bubbles to space and disrupted satellites
- This is Your Sign To Share this Luxury Gift Guide With Your Partner *Hint* *Hint
- Bear attack suspected after fisherman vanishes, human head found near lake in Japan
Ranking
- Military veteran gets time served for making ricin out of ‘curiosity’
- He's the 'unofficial ambassador' of Montana — and isn't buying its TikTok ban
- Can politicians catch up with AI?
- Prosecutors withdrawing case against woman sentenced to prison for killing man as he raped and attacked her in Mexico
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- How Naya Rivera's Son Josey Is Already Following In His Parents' Footsteps
- Tarte Cosmetics 90% Off Deals: Get $252 Worth of Eyeshadow for $32, a $90 Palette for $23, and More
- Dear Life Kit: My group chat is toxic
Recommendation
-
When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
-
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look as the Stars Arrive
-
Nordstrom Rack's Amazing Clear the Rack Sale Has $8 Skirts, $5 Bralettes & More 80% Off Deals
-
Russian court extends Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention by 3 months
-
NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
-
Alexis Ohanian Shares Rare Insight on Life With Special Serena Williams and Daughter Olympia
-
Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: 50% Off Peter Thomas Roth and Too Faced
-
Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth Break Up: A Look Back at Their Family Moments