CCSD plots legislative push on funding as student enrollment declines

Nevada State Legislature in Carson City, Nevada Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

The Clark County School District may carry a bill in next spring’s Legislature that reexamines state funding as enrollment declines here and around Nevada.

Officials acknowledge that it's a big topic, but ultimately, school leaders need to increase dedicated revenue to the state education fund to help public schools more nimbly navigate enrollment loss with a system built around per-pupil funding.

“This is one of the more complex and critical areas we’re examining– a big bowl of spaghetti, if you will,” CCSD chief financial officer Justin Dayhoff told the school board on Wednesday, when it took its first look at potential bills the district could author for the next Legislative session. “At its core, this category is about ensuring that our funding structures reflect today’s realities. We are seeing shifts in enrollment, including overall declines in some areas alongside growth in nontraditional pathways like parttime and concurrent enrollment. These changes challenge a system designed around rapidly increasing or at least stable enrollment.” 

CCSD gets two bill draft requests every session. Staff and the board reviewed about a dozen diverse potential topics this week. Most of the conversation ended up centered around funding mechanisms and budgeting.

Board vice president Irene Bustamante Adams, a former assemblywoman, said CCSD needs flexibility. As the Legislature only meets for a few months every other year, state funding – including school funding – is planned two years at a time.

“I don't know where the wind could be, but our rapidly changing environment doesn't allow us to be strategic and doesn't allow us to plan longterm,” she said. “So I think that changes in this area would help evolve us. I don't know exactly what that means yet but I know I’ve been asking, what could we change.”

CCSD started the 2024-25 school year – which is the last time the Legislature met – with about 296,000 students. It projects an enrollment this fall of about 283,000.

The 2027 session will be the first full session with Jhone Ebert as CCSD’s superintendent, along with most of her cabinet.

Board member Brenda Zamora said education is always a major focus at the capital and thinks it will be even more so this spring, so CCSD needs to be both proactive and on defense “to protect what we have in place and having them also understand to please trust us. This is a brand-new team.”

The board will revisit bill topics in June when members offer their top issues. The board plans to decide in August on the two they want to be the district’s bills.

The next Legislative session begins in February.