Examining School Funding in Nevada: Equity in Education and Policy Considerations
Senate Bill 543, passed during the 2019 Nevada Legislative Session, transformed the state’s K-12 education funding system. It replaced the Nevada Plan with the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan (PCFP), which aims to improve equity, flexibility, and transparency in how funds are allocated to school districts. The central goal of the new plan is that funding would "follow the student."
Given these policy changes, it is important to evaluate how the new funding model impacts schools statewide, both in practice and perception. This report focuses specifically on the enrollment of elementary school students across Nevada in key categories that qualify for weighted funding, such as:
- English Learners (EL)
- At-Risk Students
- Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
- Special Education
The new funding model provides base funding for every public and charter school student in Nevada. In addition, students in the three weighted categories (EL, At-Risk, or GATE) receive extra funding. However, if a student qualifies for multiple categories, they only receive additional funding for the highest-weighted category. For instance, a student who qualifies for both Special Education and EL funding will receive the base amount plus Special Education funding, as it is a greater amount than EL funding.
For the sake of our analysis, this report focuses on elementary school funding, as its structure is simpler than that of high schools. Moreover, studying elementary schools provides a foundation for long-term research, as it focuses on the early stages of a student's educational journey.
The key research question this study aims to answer is: How are Nevada’s school funds distributed to elementary schools across the state, and how do these funds impact student outcomes?
This report provides an in-depth analysis of Nevada's new funding formula, including federal and community contributions, and gauges stakeholders' perspectives on the fairness and effectiveness of these funding mechanisms.
For an overview of the report's key findings, watch our companion webinar.
The Guinn Center also created a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping tool to allow users to interact with the data and findings of this report. The tool allows you to look at student trends, compare funding across Nevada regions, and take a deep dive into the school profiles featured in the full report.