Nevada landed squarely in the middle of the pack when it comes to giving families educational choices, according to a new national report released this week.
The Silver State earned an overall grade of C and ranked 25th out of 50 states in the 2026 ALEC Index of State Education Freedom, a comprehensive evaluation of how states are expanding parental choice in education. The American Legislative Exchange Council released the rankings Tuesday, just as National School Choice Week kicks off across the country.
Breaking Down Nevada’s Report Card
The index evaluates states across five key areas: student-centered funding programs, charter schools, homeschooling, virtual schools, and open enrollment. Nevada’s performance varied dramatically across these categories.
The state’s weakest showing came in student-centered funding programs, where Nevada received an F grade and scored just 5 out of 40 possible points. Nevada offers only the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, also known as Opportunity Scholarships, a tax-credit scholarship limited to low-income families that has become a political flashpoint.
The Opportunity Scholarship Fight
The Opportunity Scholarship program has been a major battleground between Governor Joe Lombardo and Democratic lawmakers. During the 2023 legislative session, Lombardo proposed expanding the program from about $13 million every two years to roughly $500 million by 2032. Democrats, who control the legislature, rejected the plan outright, calling it too expansive.
The fight didn’t end there. Later that year, Democrats refused to allocate $3.2 million in federal COVID relief funds to prevent hundreds of students from losing their scholarships. In a party-line vote, the Interim Finance Committee rejected Lombardo’s emergency funding request, with Democrats accusing the governor of manufacturing a crisis.
“We, as a legislative body, are not pulling the rug from under these students,” said Assemblywoman Danielle Monroe Moreno, who chairs the committee.
“There is a failure in the process, which we must fix.”
AAA Scholarship Foundation, a Florida-based nonprofit, ultimately used reserve funds to ensure no students lost their scholarships that year. But the program remains capped at just $6.6 million annually in tax credits, serving fewer than 2,000 students statewide.
Lombardo Wins on Open Enrollment
While Lombardo has struggled to expand private school funding options, he notched a significant victory last year on open enrollment. In 2025, Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 533, which establishes statewide open enrollment starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
The law allows Nevada parents to choose any public school with available seats, regardless of their zip code. Students from low-performing one- or two-star schools get priority placement, and the state allocated $7 million to provide transportation support for students with financial need.
Lombardo said in a statement when the legislation passed:
“We implemented open zoning so our children can attend the school that best fits their educational needs, and we provided resources to allow those children trapped in underperforming schools transportation to attend the school of their choice — regardless of their zip code.”
The law represents the first time Nevada has required a standardized statewide open enrollment system, bringing the state in line with more than 40 others that already allow such transfers.
Where Nevada Stands
Despite the open enrollment victory, Nevada’s overall education freedom environment lags behind leading states. Florida took the top spot nationally for the third consecutive year with an A+ grade, followed by Arizona and Arkansas.
Nevada fared better in charter schools, earning a C grade, and homeschooling laws earned a B grade. The state doesn’t require annual notifications or specific teacher qualifications for homeschooling parents. Virtual schooling and the new open enrollment policies both received C grades.
The Path Forward
ALEC’s report identifies specific improvements Nevada policymakers could implement. The organization recommends creating universal education programs such as Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), which allow families to use state education dollars for various approved expenses including private school tuition, tutoring, online courses, and educational therapy.
Andrew Handel, director of ALEC’s Education and Workforce Development Task Force and the report’s author, emphasized the broader trend.
Handel said:
“What better way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than for states to provide universal education freedom to their students?”
What Nevadans Can Do
Conservatives who support education freedom have several options. They can contact state legislators and urge them to introduce universal ESA legislation similar to programs in Florida, Arizona, and Texas. They can also advocate for expanding the existing Opportunity Scholarship program beyond just low-income families and removing the funding cap.
National School Choice Week, running January 25-31, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about these issues through local events and advocacy. Organizations like ALEC offer model legislation that Nevada lawmakers could adapt, including the Hope Scholarship Act.
For families frustrated with their current options, the new open enrollment law starting this fall offers more flexibility within the public school system. Clark County School District alone received more than 16,000 transfer applications last year, with the majority being granted.
The 2026 rankings make clear that Nevada has substantial work ahead if it wants to join states leading on education freedom. With divided government and entrenched partisan positions on private school funding, whether lawmakers will expand beyond open enrollment remains uncertain.
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.
