Erica Neely, founder of the Hispanic Latin Alliance and a Nevada News & Views contributor, explains CCSD’s new open enrollment policy under A.B. 533. Neely says the change gives parents real power to choose what’s best for their kids and puts pressure on schools to improve.
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And a good morning. Great to have you with us on this Thursday morning, January the eighth, and joining us right now in the Vegas tonight. K, X, N, T, live. Line is Erica Neely. Erica is the founder of the Hispanic Latin Alliance, and she writes for Nevada news interviews. And of course, this is Nevada news interviews Thursday. Erica, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it.
Erica Neely 0:19
Thank you for having me good morning.
Alan Stock 0:21
This is a great issue, because the opportunity to get involved with this comes up next week, on January the 13th. So we’re trying to give people a kind of a heads up as to what is happening, and that is the chance for parents to choose a school that they would like their kids to go to, and they haven’t had that choice before. Tell us about what the choice is and how it came about.
Erica Neely 0:45
Absolutely, and I agree with you, this is fantastic news for families having options. So A, B, 533, begins, it’s open enrollment. What this means is, what is open enrollment, that families are not forced to attend the school in their zip code, meaning the open enrollment means that they get to choose the best school that fits their family and their child.
Alan Stock 1:08
All right. How does this work? I mean, I mean, everybody is going to, I mean, let’s be honest, everybody’s going to be clamoring for the what are considered to be the best districts in the Clark County School District.
Erica Neely 1:21
So, yes, okay, so there is a process. So it began in October of 20, October of 2025, and then you’re right, it ends on January 13, 26 five days from today, which ends at three o’clock.
Alan Stock 1:35
It ends on the 13th. I thought it started on the third end zone, 13th. Yes.
Erica Neely 1:39
It began October of 2025, and in January 13 of 2026, which, which is five days left, and you have to submit your application by three o’clock on the 13th. Okay, on the 13th. So how, the way it works is, you go to the CCSD website, you submit an application. From there, you get to pick from elementary, middle school, high school, it could be public or magnet schools from there. So from there you you submit your application any available spots, you get an opportunity to attend that school. If the school receives more application than available spots, then it goes into a lottery base, and then you get notified, and then you are in pretty simple, right?
Alan Stock 2:24
Okay, I mean, yeah, it sounds that way. And this is something that I know the governor was was promoting big time, yes.
Erica Neely 2:33
So this is an opportunity, because you don’t get to be stuck in that failed school that it’s in your neighborhood. You have an option, if you work, if you work five miles over the five miles of your home, right? You go to work, it’s over five miles. There’s a school nearby there, and it’s a better school. Wouldn’t it make sense that you go to work and drop off your school at that location. So this actually gives you an opportunity to pick what is best for your family and your child, not being forced to attend the school in your in your zip code,
Alan Stock 3:04
and so the various schools and the zip codes that might not be in the highest demand will be challenged to be able to up their game Absolutely.
Erica Neely 3:15
This means that schools will finally be forced to work for the families they serve. That is fantastic news.
Alan Stock 3:22
Wow, this is amazing stuff. So, and this is the first time this has come about, and there are a lot of opportunities when people work in certain areas, it’s a lot easier to drop their kids off near their work than it is, you know, even where, though it’s closer to their home. I mean, yeah, the different reasons that people would choose a school maybe that isn’t close to their home,
Erica Neely 3:48
absolutely, even if you’re, let’s say your mom’s involved, and you want to drop off the child at your mom’s house, and it’s easier for your mom to pick up your child from there. There’s 198 elementary schools, 44 middle schools, 18 high schools to pick from. And there’s one more option you don’t you have up to on your application. You have up to three schools to pick from.
Alan Stock 4:12
Oh, you can pick up the three schools. You put them in the order of your choice. That’s right, yes. And so this means now that what this represents, at least to me, the way we’re talking, is that parents are now being finally going to be trusted with choosing their own child’s school.
Erica Neely 4:32
Absolutely, this is a big win for parents, absolutely for education and opportunity and just
Alan Stock 4:39
flexibility and again, please tell me this involves public school, private school, charter schools, any of the above, any of those are involved.
Erica Neely 4:51
No, not necessarily this, A, b5, five is for public and magnet schools. Charter schools already have their own lottery base private schools, if. You have the money or the funding, that still has always been an option. But this one is for public and magnet schools,
Alan Stock 5:08
public and magnet schools, so public and magnet schools and charter schools have their own lottery. And then, of course, for private schools, it’s up to people to come up with the dollars to pay for it. I know there have been efforts in the past and a desire in the future to be able to get certain dollars allotted to parents, to be able to choose any of the schools they’d like to go to, which includes private schools. In other words, using the money for where they would choose to use it, what school they choose to use it, as opposed to having the state go to those schools directly.
Erica Neely 5:45
Yeah, and that’s something that has been talked about about the school vouchers still hasn’t passed, but we’re headed in the right direction with this bill, the A, B, 533,
Alan Stock 5:56
and you’re running for the assembly, and I know, and I know when you get there, one of your focuses will be on trying to get these vouchers, as you said, to be able to allow parents to choose additionally more schools than they are going to be able to choose under 533, absolutely.
Erica Neely 6:16
That is one of my main goals. As a mother of six. Options for schools is very important. We know that. I know it sounds cliche, knowledge is power, but it really is. It gives our children an opportunity and the best life that they could ever have with education
Alan Stock 6:33
well, and the fact that the state has the money and they decide that where to put it out again, that does not allow parents to have that choice fully. This is the beginning we’re talking about today with 533, and choosing the district that they want to go to. But if the if the vouchers came down the pike, they’d be able to choose any of the schools. And again, that gives parents a much greater say in their kids education? Absolutely, 100%
Erica Neely 7:03
I agree. Yes, we need to be looking at vouchers, giving opportunity to families, just being ranked at the bottom for decades, for years, it’s not working. Whatever is working, whatever they’re doing right now, is not working. We need better options. We need to trust parents for the best interest of the children.
Alan Stock 7:22
Well, I appreciate the fight that you’re fighting for, and you’re, you’re, I know, fighting tooth and nail for the rights of parents to choose for the best thing for their kids. And it’s parents who are ultimately responsible for their kids on every level. I don’t care what anyone says, and parents should always be notified if their kids have any issues at school or anything like that, and that’s something that other states don’t quite understand. But Nevada is a freer state, and we understand what that’s all about. Parents need to be involved in their kids education, not excluded from their kids education.
Erica Neely 7:59
100% I am not going to move on that open door policy. When it comes to parents, we should be aware of everything our children are doing. We entrust you. We drop off our kids at the school. We should be notified. Absolutely.
Alan Stock 8:13
100% I appreciate what you’re doing for our kids and our parents and education in this state, and we are behind you 100% in your effort to get into the assembly. And which district is it?
Erica Neely 8:28
Again, it’s district nine, right by the IKEA, right?
Alan Stock 8:32
Exactly happens to be my district, by the way. So by way of disclosure, Erica Neely, thank you so much for being with us. This is, of course, Nevada, Nevada news and views Thursday. And if you want to find out more about Nevada news and views, go to Nevada news and views.com Nevada news and views.com. A great source for news locally, statewide and nationally as well. And Erica writes regularly with them. Erica, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it. Have a great day. Happy new to you and yours, and we will talk soon.
Erica Neely 9:04
Okay, bye, thank you so much. Bye. Bye.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the production of this transcript and result may not be 100% accurate.
