Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) took to social media last week to push for his legislation that he says would open up greater choice for which schools parents choose to send their children.
Lombardo did not mention Assembly Bill 400, but he tweeted the following on April 26: "My administration is fighting for school choice in Nevada. We believe that parents know best. We believe that parents should be empowered to make the best education decisions for their children. Let’s start trusting parents."
The governor's tweet linked to a brief clip of his chief of staff, Ben Kieckhefer, speaking before the state Assembly Ways and Means Committee on April 26 about AB 400. The bill would create a new office, the Office of School Choice, within the state's Department of Education and also would require open zoning to ensure families are are not limited by geography in their choice of schools.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo
| gov.nv.gov/
"The vast majority of this bill addresses traditional public education," Kieckhefer said in response to a question by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas). "It addresses opportunities for families within traditional public education, within charter public education and within opportunities to achieve private education for lower-income and middle-income families. School choice exists. It shouldn't exist only for people who can afford it."
In a separate tweet, Lombardo said AB 400 also would increase scholarship opportunities, allow charter schools to receive transportation funding and spur new charter school development.
The debate over AB 400 has been widely covered in recent weeks.
NBC 3 News reported on March 28 that the bill's supporters claim the legislation will provide parents with more options for their children's education.
"Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor," parent advocacy group Power2Parent Vice President Deborah Earl told NBC 3 News. "Every child learns differently, and every parent knows their child best."
Earl also said the bill's provisions to fund charter schools will benefit families previously unable to drive their kids to and from school. AB 400 will allow for those charter schools to apply for bus funding.
AB 400 would expand scholarship opportunities by allowing families making less than $150,000 a year to apply for a tax credit to use for education dollars. The bill's critics claim that AB 400 will divert funds from public schools, especially in cases in which families choose a private school instead of their local public school.
Kamilah Bywaters, a parent and president of the Las Vegas Alliance of Black School Educators, told NBC 3 News, "The school choice movement is saying that the school in your neighborhood is not worthy."
Bywaters also said she wants the problem of parents looking for other options in the first place to be addressed.
The Austin Journal reported that Nevada is one of many states in the school choice movement, including Florida, which passed a bill, HB 1, that allows for universal education savings accounts for all families in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) recently praised that state's legislation, calling Florida the "nation's leader in education choice."
The Florida Senate also issued a statement on the bill: "HB 1 contains a comprehensive package of innovations that promote parental involvement and customized K-12 education in Florida. The legislation empowers parents to guide their children’s education by providing for an education savings account for every student in the K-12 system. Incorporating recommendations from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, the bill also takes the first step toward reducing onerous and excessive regulations on public schools."
The Lone Star Standard reported in February about the Texas Legislature's debate over school choice.
Texas state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, filed Senate Bill 8 the following month, legislation to establish the "Texas Parental Bill of Rights" and create an education savings accounts program.
In its earlier report, Lone Star Standard said Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) has supported parental empowerment and education savings accounts during his tours the state to visit schools.
At an event in Corpus Christi, Abbott said, "Parents should not be helpless; they should be able to choose the education option that is best for their child. The way to do that is with ESAs — education savings accounts. We’ve seen them work in other states, and we’ve seen them work in the state of Texas also. No one knows what is better for their child’s education than parents; they must have the freedom to choose what is best for their child."
