The beginning of the 83rd legislative session called for a hopeful optimism for school choice proponents as legislators introduced their visions of addressing the Great Nevada Educational Crisis. The final product of a 120-day political deliberation was the passage of Senate Bill 460 – a middle ground between progress and bipartisan compromise.
Just two weeks ago Nevada was facing two different omnibus proposals introduced by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Governor Joe Lombardo. Instead of choosing one, the legislature passed parts of both. Initially introduced by Senator Cannizzaro, SB 460 was heavily amended to include sections from Gov. Lombardo’s proposal.
Key Reforms in SB 460
To be clear, SB 460 is not without merit. The bill introduces reforms that are long overdue. It enacts open enrollment for students who are attending chronically underperforming schools, allows for the expansion of charter schools in low-performing districts, and creates a pilot program for innovation schools.
Additionally, SB 460, implements a phonics-based foundational literacy teaching course for elementary school teachers – a concept widely known in education policy as the Mississippi Miracle with an evidence-based success. The bill also addresses technical roadblocks in the current design of public education by making it easier to dismiss underperforming teachers and lightening the redundancy of reporting requirements. These elements clearly signal a bipartisan accord that the status quo is failing Nevadan students.
Limitations and Setbacks of SB 460
At the same time, the bill restricts aspects of the current educational system that are working for many. First, SB 460 mandates that all charter school teachers hold a teaching license or endorsement, a significant increase from the current 80% threshold. This provision will likely threaten the employment status of many successful charter teachers and block the entry of mid-career professionals into the classroom.
The bill also recodifies the Opportunity Scholarship Program back into Nevada law. While that’s a step back in the right direction, codification without a monetary threshold means the program will remain a political football during every legislative session. For a program that is virtually the only avenue of school choice in the state, this can become a hurdle for growth in the long-run.
Lastly, the central focus of SB 460 is school district oversight with a potential state takeover of districts that are persistently underperforming. States as diverse as California, Texas, Arizona, and Illinois have resorted to this policy often because of fiscal hardship or poor academic performance. Nevertheless, studies have shown no evidence that district takeovers improve public schools indicating that yet again Nevada might have chosen the wrong policy path. Choice and competition in an open marketplace are the best mechanisms for elevating school performance, but this approach is neither.
Missed Opportunities: Alternative Proposals
Alongside this massive 196-page bill, the committees received more expansive and practical bill drafts throughout the session. Assembly Bill 214, would have significantly increased funding for the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program by raising the cap on donations from $6 million to $30 million in 2026, with a 10% annual increase thereafter. Senate Bill 252 would have reestablished educational savings accounts for Nevadan families while Senate Bill 253 proposed the creation of Charter School Facility Account to fund charter school improvements and expansions. None of these measures were granted committee hearings. Governor Lombardo’s initial bill language also included funds for parents, access to alternatives, and conversion of failing district schools into charters; none of these ideas made the cut into SB 460.
Looking Ahead: The Need for Bold Solutions
If Nevada wants to see dramatic improvements in the educational outcomes it will need to make equally dramatic investments in the right policies. SB 460 might be seen as a balanced bipartisan compromise from a political standpoint, but for families trapped in underperforming schools it will be one step forward and three steps back. So for the next session, the Great Nevada Education Crisis will still loom in Carson City waiting for solutions and not incremental steps.
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