LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Governor Joe Lombardo praised Nevada’s charter school sector Thursday, saying the state has made historic progress in expanding educational choices for families while acknowledging ongoing challenges with facilities and teacher recruitment.
Speaking at a Charter School Association of Nevada event, Lombardo said charter schools have become a key part of the conversation about education in the state.
“The education numbers, the graduation numbers, the measurements associated with education are improving on an annual basis,” Lombardo said. “And we can’t deny that.”
The governor credited bipartisan collaboration for the progress, singling out Assemblymember Selena Torres and Assemblymember Greg Hafen for their work on education policy.
“When it came to education, those barriers are removed,” Lombardo said of working across party lines. “We have constant conversations on the appropriate things to do associated with education.”
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Charter sector serves 70,000 students
Selena Torres-Fawcett, executive director of the Charter School Association of Nevada, said charter schools now serve more than 70,000 students across the state, making up about 15% of Nevada’s public school population.
“That level of performance speaks to the quality of instruction happening in our classrooms every single day,” Torres-Fawcett said.
Five of the seven schools that earned a perfect score on the Nevada School Performance Framework are public charter schools, she said. More than 85% of charter schools earn three stars or higher, and nearly 70% earn four or five stars.
State Superintendent Victor Wakefield said charter schools represent the second-largest district in Nevada by enrollment.
“Public charter schools are now enrolling 70,000 Nevada students,” Wakefield said. “It’s a really big piece of our work at NDE, supporting the success of those students.”
Facility funding remains top challenge
Torres-Fawcett said the lack of dedicated facility funding remains one of the most urgent issues facing charter schools.
“Public schools serving more than 70,000 students receive no dedicated funding for facilities,” she said. “That means classroom dollars are used to keep our doors open. That means fewer resources for students. That means real barriers to growth.”
Charter schools must use per-pupil funds to build and maintain their buildings, unlike traditional public schools that have access to facility funding.
The Charter School Association is advocating for facility funding and equitable access to facilities across the state, Torres-Fawcett said.
She also called for streamlining reporting requirements that take time and resources away from students, and removing barriers that prevent charter school students from fully participating in athletics and extracurriculars through the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.
Focus on teachers, educators
Lombardo said the event had a different theme than typical charter school discussions, focusing on educators and teachers.
“Recognizing the incredible work our teachers and administrators do every single day,” Lombardo said. “You are the torchbearers of education, driven by one purpose, to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our kids.”
The governor said education remains a top priority for his administration.
“Every child deserves access and choices to a quality education,” Lombardo said. “But just as importantly, our economy depends on it.”
Wakefield said the state has a responsibility to ensure charter schools serving students with disabilities or English learners provide effective programs.
“We have weighted funding that is specifically to meet those needs,” Wakefield said.
Tam Shear, CEO of Opportunity 180, said accountability should focus on student learning and growth rather than compliance.
“Somewhere along the way accountability became a bad word in education,” Shear said. “What accountability actually does is it provides us clear guidance on what matters most, which is student learning and student growth.”
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