In the first state-level presentation of Governor Joe Lombardo’s education budget, Department of Education officials shared how they propose funding should flow to each of the state’s 17 school districts and its charter school authority; however, state lawmakers will have the final say in the upcoming biennial legislative session beginning Monday, Feb. 6.
During the meeting, legislators questioned how the state identifies at-risk students in its weighted funding mechanism as school districts receive additional money for each at-risk student, English language learner, and gifted and talented student they serve.
In the past, at-risk students were defined as those that were eligible for free or reduced lunch under federal poverty guidelines. But eligibility has expanded to include entire schools of students due to new rules, and some parents don’t fill out necessary forms due to social stigma.
Under new guidance from the Nevada State Board of Education, the Department of Education defines at-risk students as those who are at risk of not graduating from high school with their class, which is a determination based on each student’s academic proficiency, attendance, and behavioral history.
However, legislators like state Senator Dina Neal of District 4 questioned the absence of environmental factors in that determination.
“I believe that there is a lineage to a zip code that has historically been underserved, uneducated, and it has been a continuing timeline that we can point to for 20 years,” she said.
State Assemblywoman Natha Anderson of District 30 shared Neal’s concern and specifically asked if community metrics like median home prices in a school’s enrollment area were included in the determination, which they are not.
Neal also wondered if the new definition left out younger students not yet in high school. State Superintendent Jhone Ebert assured her that they were.
“If they are not reading by grade three, they are not on track to be successful in middle school or high school. And so, those funds will flow directly to, for, those third graders, those fourth graders, middle schoolers,” she clarified.
Anderson also questioned the use of behavioral history as a factor, given differences in how schools enter that data into students’ records. Ebert said that is a concern and the department has been meeting with districts to make sure that data is being entered correctly.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
The image included in this story is a screenshot from the Legislative Commission’s Budget Subcommittee's livestreamed meeting on Friday, Jan. 30, 2023. Click here to view the recorded video on YouTube.
