A Victory for School Choice and Equal Treatment
Ever notice how politicians love talking about choice and competition in every area except education? Well, Nevada parents are tired of waiting. They’re pulling their kids out of traditional public schools and heading to charter schools in record numbers.
The latest enrollment data tells the story:
Charter schools grew by 2.3 percentage points this year while Clark County and Washoe County traditional schools saw drops of 1.5 and 1.3 percentage points.
Clark County School District transferred responsibility for all six of its county-run charter schools to the charter school authority in January 2025, bringing another 5,550 students into SPCSA’s fold. That made the charter authority the second-largest school “district” in the state.
Think about that for a second. When Nevada’s State Public School Charter Authority was founded in 2011, it oversaw approximately 11,000 students. Today it oversees more than 70,000. That’s not a trend. That’s a movement.
Lombardo Delivers on Promise of Equal Pay
Here’s where Governor Joe Lombardo scored a huge win for school choice. Remember when Democrats passed teacher pay raises in 2023 but left charter school teachers out in the cold? Lombardo wasn’t having it.
After Assembly Bill 398 was passed earlier this year, Lombardo posted on X:
” I’m proud to say that, now, all public school teachers will be on an equal playing field.”
The governor played hardball to get this done, saying:
“I’ve been clear and consistent on this. I will not sign an education budget that does not include equal pay for public charter school teachers and make teacher pay raises, including those for charter school teachers, permanent.”
He meant it too. The threat of a veto got Democrats to pass the bill, which allocates nearly $38 million — $19.3 million annually — for the raises.
“This is a major victory for Governor Lombardo, the legislature, and all Nevadans.
Why Parents Choose Charter Schools
The numbers explain why families are making the switch. The 2024-2025 reading rates among students in state-run charter schools were nearly 12 points higher than the statewide public school average. Charter schools are one of the only school groups that has seen literacy rates increase since 2018-2019.
Charter schools offer what traditional public schools often can’t. Smaller classes. Specialized programs. Different approaches to dealing with behavior problems. Parents like having options that match their kids’ needs.
Sage Collegiate, a K-8 charter school in Las Vegas, was “one of the first schools” to take advantage of transportation money last year. The school now runs two bus routes, breaking down one of the biggest barriers that kept low-income families from choosing charter schools.
Federal Money Fuels Expansion
Washington is putting serious money behind Nevada’s charter school growth.
Opportunity 180, a nonprofit in Las Vegas dedicated to improving and creating high-quality schools, has received the largest grant of its kind in state history from the U.S. Department of Education. We’re talking about $51 million in grant funding to expand charter school access across Nevada.
“This historic investment will impact 27 new, expanding, or replicating public charter schools and 15,000+ students annually at full capacity, giving more students access to quality education and support they need,” said Tamara Shear, Opportunity 180’s CEO.
Even Democrat Representative Susie Lee supports the expansion. “Every child deserves a quality education, and every parent deserves a choice … and that’s not an either-or. That’s all of the above.”
Critics Push Back, But Numbers Don’t Lie
The teachers’ union doesn’t like the competition. Nevada State Education Association spokesman Chris Daly claimed:
“Charter schools love to compare themselves and never correct for demographic differences.”
Fair point. Nearly 86 percent of Nevada’s public school students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to only 64 percent among charter school students.
But that’s changing: 89 percent of the schools that received money from the 2020 grant met or exceeded their district’s proportion of at-risk students, defined as students who are economically disadvantaged or have a disability.
Cities Join the Movement
The Legislature opened more doors in 2023 by letting cities sponsor charter schools. The state Department of Education approved Henderson and North Las Vegas as charter school sponsors in 2024. Henderson already approved Kesher Academy, a Hebrew dual-language school opening in 2026.
This matters because cities can avoid some state restrictions. No more limiting new schools to only the worst-performing ZIP codes.
As Henderson’s education manager Tara Phebus put it:
“That’s kind of the point of charter schools, is innovation.”
What Conservatives Can Do
This momentum didn’t happen by accident. Governor Lombardo fought for equal treatment of charter school teachers and won. The federal government is investing millions in expansion. Cities are getting involved as sponsors.
But the fight’s not over. Traditional public school defenders will keep pushing back. They’ll claim charter schools cherry-pick students. They’ll demand more regulations. They’ll try to limit growth.
Here’s what you can do:
Support legislators who back school choice. Show up at school board meetings. Tell your neighbors about charter school options.
Most importantly, if you’re unhappy with your kid’s traditional public school, look into alternatives. Along with Kesher, two SPCSA-sponsored schools will open in 2026, meaning more than 300 brand-new charter school seats will be available to Nevada families next year.
Competition makes everything better. Cars, computers, coffee shops – why should schools be different? Nevada parents are proving that when families have real choices, they choose what works best for their kids. That’s not radical. That’s common sense.
Governor Lombardo’s victory on charter school teacher pay shows what’s possible when leaders actually fight for school choice instead of just talking about it. More kids are learning to read. More families have options. More teachers have fair pay regardless of where they teach.
That’s what winning looks like.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
